What They Said About Contact
by GaleSynch
Summary: AU: A word of advice: When you ran into Cupid, restrain from insulting him. Otherwise, you'll end up just like Jason: frustrated, far from home and stuck in contact with a certain daughter of Poseidon. Maybe Hera's plan wouldn't be so hard to pull off after all. Jason/Fem!Percy. Nico/OC. Annabeth/Leo. Frank/Hazel. Some Piper bashing.
1. Chapter 1

**What They Said About Contact**

**Chapter One: The Curse.**

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Even before he got cursed, Jason Grace son of Jupiter, was having a rotten day.

He woke up in the back seat of a bus, not sure where he was, holding hands with a girl he didn't know. That wasn't necessarily the rotten part. The girl was hot, but he couldn't figure out who she was or what they were doing holding hands. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, trying to think.

His head was pounding—he must have hit it hard. He tried to think back...the last thing he remembered...

The girl groaned and he turned his attention towards her. Now only did he realize that she was unconscious as well; and was waking up now. She wore a brown shirt that showed off her figure, blue jeans and worn sneakers—it didn't do much to downplay her beauty though. Her chocolate-brown hair went past her shoulders and ended at her waist. Jason figured she must have tan skin but now her skin was sickly pale, as if she had lost quite an amount of blood. Her eyes fluttered open, revealing luminous sea-green orbs to the world—though the only one on the abandoned bus was him and her.

"What the—?" She looked at him and their intertwined fingers; her eyes alarmed and confused. Jason flushed when he realized that he was staring too hard at her.

"S—sorry." He tried to pull his hand back but couldn't. His first thought was that the girl—who seemed to be about the same age as he or was older by a few years—wouldn't let go. But he realized that she was having the same trouble as he: their hands were stuck. He swore in Latin the same time the girl swore in...was that Greek? He wondered how she knew such an ancient language; his instinct nagged at him that something feels wrong about the girl.

"I wouldn't recommend pulling away from one another if I were you."

Jason turned to look at the source of the amused voice the same time the girl did. The lady that had spoken was beautiful in her own way. She wore a red dress and had her hair in a cascade of ringlets, while wearing makeup. Jason thought she was different from the girl sitting beside him—she was elegant without trying, fashionable without effort, stunning without makeup.

An enraged look crossed the mint-eyed girl's features. "Aphrodite," she spat. "What is the meaning of this?" She gestured with her free hand at Jason. Jason tried not to feel too offended when she gestured to him as if he was some menace.

_Aphrodite? As in the Greek counterpart of Venus_?—Jason assessed the girl beside him warily now, she wasn't a mere mortal. If she was, how did she know a goddess? Or perhaps, she has the ability to see through the Mist? Maybe she was Aphrodite's legacy or something?

Aphrodite—or maybe Venus—smiled sympathetically. "It isn't my doing, Percy dear." Jason guessed that Percy was the name of the girl—odd name for one. "Why don't you ask the boy beside you? Why don't you tell her, Jason Grace, of what you have done to result the both of you in this situation?"

Percy's head snapped to look at him. "I didn't do anything!" was Jason's automatic response; he recoiled from the intensity of the glare. The girl's eyes softened, the anger slowly leaving them but the confusion was still evident in them. She looked back and forth between Aphrodite and Jason. "I mean, I don't remember."

"That boy offended my son—Eros or in Roman form, Cupid—you see." Aphrodite explained, her sickly sweet smile—as if she was enjoying their troubles and confusion—irritated Jason. "He insulted him when my son ordered Jason here to fall in love. So he punished you by sticking you with the least likely person you will fall in love with." She looked giddy as dread settled in Jason's stomach—he was starting to remember the encounter now and no words could describe how much he regretted it. "I'm very interested—"

"Hold it!" Percy held up her free hand. "You mean we're going to be stuck like this? Forever?" Her tone had taken on a pleading note and her eyes seemed to shine with tears. Which did nothing on Jason's conscious, he hated making a girl cry if they're not the enemy.

Aphrodite waved her hand. "No, of course not. Within a week, it will wear off." Jason and Percy relaxed. "It's not permanent, but if you want—"

"No thank you!" Percy snapped. "Let's get out of here." She stood and tried to leave but Jason's weight prevented her from doing so.

"Wait," He said. "We have a lot of problems to deal with."

Aphrodite nodded, grin still intact. "That's true. For example, where are you two going to sleep?"

"At home...no?" Percy looked confused. Personally, Jason thought it was cute.

"Yeah, but who's home?" Jason ran a hand through his hair. He didn't know what the girl was—most likely a demigod though—and he definitely can't bring her back to New Rome in this situation. His hard-earned reputation will go down the drain, his position as praetor might be in danger, Reyna will be furious at him and he'll be the laughing stock at Camp Jupiter.

Percy's shoulders slumped. "This, by far, is the oddest thing that has ever happened to me." She pouted. "It's not fair. I didn't do anything! There must be some other girl he can't get along with." She looked pointedly at Aphrodite.

"You've offended my boyfriend and Cupid is our son." The color drained from Percy's face. It made Jason wonder how she offended him—if so, he couldn't be the only one to be blamed right? "In any case, I'll be watching you two. Good luck." With one last wink, the goddess disappeared in a shower of roses.

"This sucks." Percy muttered.

Which pretty much sums things up.

**JxP**

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A/N; This takes place before The Lost Hero but after The Last Olympian.

Questions, Comments, Concerns or Threats?

If so please Review!


	2. Chapter 2

**What They Said About Contact**

**Chapter Two: Seduction By Induction.**

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Once Aphrodite left, things got even more awkward and tense. Jason studied the girl who's hand he was holding on to. He shuffled his feet awkwardly, his tone guarded and weary, he said. "So...you're a demigod?"

Percy shot Jason a bemused look. A cautious look masked under confusion, Jason realized after analyzing her properly. As naive as she'd looked, she wasn't an idiot; she knew he wasn't normal by any means. "Yeah." Percy finally replied. "What about you?" Her tone was curious and light-hearted; Jason had a feeling that the latter was forced.

Jason's body went rigid as his demigod instincts screamed at him to be wary as he saw the girl's hand slipped into her pocket jeans. A weapon, she was a demigod, she must have had something to defend herself from monsters. As casual as he could, his hand went to his pocket where his weapon was—Ivlivs in mist form was. Though he had to wonder how would they battle one another with their other hand stuck like that.

"I'm the son of Jupiter. I'm a child of Rome, consul to demigods, praetor of the First Legion. I slew the Trojan sea monster, I toppled the black throne of Kronos and and destroyed the Titan Krios with my own hands." Percy gawked at him.

She frowned, her brows furrowing. "A child of Rome you say..." She looked at him, now thoroughly confused. But as irritated as she was, she was much more irritated by how arrogant Jason had sounded when he introduced himself—she wanted to rub it in that she was superior. "I'm a daughter of Poseidon. I'm from Camp Half-Blood." She hesitated. "Defeater of the Furies and the Minotaur twice, Retriever of Zeus's bolt and Hades Helm, Defeater of Ares, Sailor of the Sea of Monsters, Defeater of the Hydra, Retriever of the Golden Fleece, Defeater of the Nemean Lion, Bearer of the sky, Defeater of Anteaus, Wanderer of the Labyrinth, Defeater of Phobos and Deimos, Retriever of Ares' Chariot, Retriever of the Sword of Hades, ex-holder of the Curse of Achilles, Defeater of a whole butt-load of monsters, Child of the Prophecy, Defeater of Iapetus, Hyperion, and Kronos, Defeater of Cacus, Retriever of Hermes' Caduceus, Defeater of Polybotes, One of the Seven, Hero of Olympus."

Percy breathed a sigh, "Man, that was a mouthful."

Jason was impressed but some part of him refused to believe it. "Really? A girl like you?"

That was the wrong thing to say; Percy glared at him. "I'm older and much more experienced than you, boy."

It was then that Jason realized why he was stuck with Percy of all the girls in the world. She was a Greek demigod, daughter of Neptune—in Roman form and one of the Big Three's children; it was a well known fact that children of the Big Three often fought one another. He will never get along with her. And there was her personality to consider too. Jason was good at reading other people's emotions and he can tell Percy was someone who would always defend those precious to her—in more ways than one.

"The name's Jason." He grumbled, offended that she couldn't remember him.

"Whatever." Percy started walking, dragging him along with her. Jason felt miffed that she brushed him off as if he was of no importance—but he was sure it was because of their Roman-Greek blood that makes them generally an enemy in the other's eyes. Nevertheless, it was...refreshing to meet someone that didn't look at him in awe just because he was the son of King of Olympus.

To reach Percy's apartment—which she admitted she shared with her parents—they had to cross quite a busy route. It was a good thing that they're hands connected or Jason will surely be separated from Percy. He hoped that there was no one he knew here, or he'll die of embarrassment if anyone at Camp Jupiter found out that he was holding hands with a girl—he'll be seen as a traitor if they knew she was a Greek demigod. Actually, the Romans—except a certain augur—weren't even convinced that Greeks actually exist; it was a surprise to meet a Greek demigod.

Once they managed to squeezed past a lot of people—"Oh, you lovebirds, let go of one another why don't ya, an old man needs to use the road ya know and you're blocking it!"—and crossed the road safely—Jason, who had lived his whole life in Camp Jupiter was utterly surprised at the technologies that were being used these days—Jason noticed something inappropriate.

The way Percy walked for instance, her hips sway with every step she takes—and Jason looked away rather quickly, face flushed. He barely knew her and he was already checking her out; he wondered what else did Cupid and Venus did to him. _Curse them!_—Or maybe Percy was trying to seduce him, which he found unlikely, she seemed...too obtuse to do something like that without being told.

"Hmm...seduction by induction...it rhymes..." Percy looked up at him—yes, she was _that_ short—oddly, as if he was a freak—something which he wasn't used to since the Romans always looked up at him in awe because of his heritage.

"We're here," Percy announced solemnly Most likely because this was another weird occasion—or awkward since she was bringing a boy back home. Percy was still grumpy since before they got cursed, Jason guessed as he rolled his eyes when the girl glared at him as if it was his fault—a small part of him admitted, yes.

She dug into her pocket for her key—but instead, a pen fell out. Percy didn't pay it any attention but Jason bent down to pick it up. Only for it to disappear in his hand. This time, Percy shot him a wry look as she smirked. "That's Riptide, my sword in Mist form."

"But it—"

"Disappeared?" Percy suggested as she insert the key into the lock. "Yeah, that happens since it will automatically return to my pocket. I wouldn't loose it no matter what."

Jason bit his tongue to refrain from commenting. He wouldn't admit that he was jealous of the girl's weapon's cool features. His coin on the other hand, will be lost forever if he lost it and didn't make an effort to look for it. He wondered will the girl's pen slip past Terminus' boundaries.

"Mom," Percy greeted with no amount of enthusiasm though she tried to smile as if everything was okay when everything was so _not_.

"Is something wrong?" A woman entered Jason's line of sight, making him fidget with the wary look she shot him; she look a little like Percy, the girl must've gotten her brown hair and her eye-shape from her mother. "Percy...who's he?" She gestured at Jason, disbelief in her eyes. He wondered what make it so unbelievable that her daughter brought home a boy. It took Jason a moment to realize how wrong that had sounded—he wasn't the brunette's boyfriend.

A man walked into the living room, his eyes immediately zeroing on Jason like a hawk's. _Wonderful_, the son of Jupiter thought, _a protective—or may an over-protective—father was exactly what he needed_.

He wasn't looking forward to this conversation.

**JxP**

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A/N; This story... I don't have much ideas on how to develop their relationship - though I really want to write it. I kinda lost inspiration for now.

So I wanna ask you guys to review and tell me what kind of Jason/Percy interaction you want in the next following chapters.

Review?


	3. Chapter 3

**What They Said About Contact**

**Chapter Three: Extraodinary How Nice She Is... At First Anyway.**

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Jason was by no means a coward, but under the glare of sea-green eyes—so much like Percy's yet oh so different—even _he_ had to refrain from hiding behind Percy. He sneaked a glance at Percy's face; her face had turned ashen, sea-green eyes wide with horror.

But one stern look from Sally snapped her out of it. "Uh—hey, there... um, dad."

Poseidon then? Wow, maybe it's time he said goodbye to his life. A part of him felt jealous of Percy and resentment of how she looked as if she wanted her immortal parent to leave. Jason's father had never visited him, had never ever gave him any acknowledgement but claiming him. And Percy, a great hero, had her father visit her.

"So... what are you doing here, dad?" Percy' hand squeezed his hand. For what, Jason had no idea. For reassurance perhaps? Jason's hand tightened on hers for a split second before loosening.

"I haven't time to say happy sixteenth birthday to you with the war going on, but now that it's over... I wanted to wish you a happy birthday, Percy." Poseidon smiled, tight lipped—the son of Jupiter could tell that Poseidon wasn't happy seeing his daughter holding hands with a Roman, to top it all off, a son of his greatest rival.

"So... who's the boy?" Jason marveled at how Poseidon and Percy sound so similar to one another. The way they start a question, he meant.

"Err... he's Jason Grace, son of Zeus."—if it was possible for Poseidon's expression to darken any further, it just happened and it made Jason doubt this chances of survival—"Look, dad, I didn't choose this. We got cursed you see—"

"Who did you two offend?" Sally asked, frowning. Not at Jason but because she couldn't believe her daughter was so rude.

Percy glared at Jason. "Not. Me." She elbowed him to indicate who she was talking to.

Poseidon threw Jason a dirty glare but when Percy turned to look at him again, he was smiling kindly. "What's the curse about?" He asked.

"We're going to be stuck, for a week." Percy muttered gloomily. "Like this." She raised hers and Jason's intertwined hands for emphasis. The glare that Poseidon gave him was smoldering; it practically screamed "DIE!"—he just hoped that the god wouldn't follow up with the threatening look.

"And your sleeping arrangements?" That was what concerned Sally the most. She didn't like—wasn't comfortable with—the fact that her daughter would be sleeping with a total stranger though Jason seemed nice enough; never judge a book by its cover.

"My bed's not big enough..." Percy ran her free hand through her hair. "We'll be sleeping in the living room, maybe?"

"Yes," Poseidon agreed venomously. "Where Sally can see him." The last word was said with distaste Jason and Sally winced but Percy, being as obtuse as she was, couldn't tell at all. Jason wondered how she can be such a great hero when she was this dense—she must have had a very wise sidekick then, someone that always form the plan.

"Dad," Percy nearly whined. "Can't you lift the curse?"

"Yeah," Jason piped up. "That'll be very helpful."

Poseidon shot him a sharp look of loathing. "Lifting another immortal's doing is... not easy and sometimes, impossible. That's why many heroes were cursed; did you not think they're parents tried to help them?"

Percy averted her gaze, embarrassed. "Err... maybe?" Jason didn't blame her for that. He himself didn't believe his parents ever cared about him.

"I see."

An awkward silence descended upon the four of them. Jason shifted awkwardly on his feet; he couldn't help but feel bad—he was sure that if he wasn't here, Percy would be happy, smiling, to see her father.

"Well then," Poseidon broke the silence when it was silent for far too long. "I should be taking my leave." He looked at Percy's mother and smiled, then he glowered at Jason after smiling fondly at his daughter. "If anything happens to her..." He let the threat hang in the air but it manage to convey the message to Jason anyway.

The three watched as Poseidon shimmered then disappeared.

"Oh man, was that weird or what?" Percy looked confuse and curious. Just like when they had first met; back at the bus.

_What?_—Jason was baffled, how can she not see the tension in the air? "Unbelievable." Jason muttered.

Percy stared at him. "What's unbelievable?" She asked.

Jason rolled his eyes. "Did you not see how your father looked at me? Are you playing dumb or are you plain stupid?" Too late did Jason realize he used the wrong wording. He really should be more careful but the day's events were catching up to him; the problem with Reyna when she told him that she...

Percy blinked. Jason thought that she was going to snap at him but she didn't seem angry at all. Sally was gawking at them, trying to find something to ward off both their tempers before they started fighting—and children of the Big Three fighting meant trouble and complete destruction of the area; just look at what World War II did.

"It's okay, mom. He's just tired, that's all. I'm too; it's late by the way."

Late? Already? Jason hadn't notice that it was well past evening. How—?

"I live quite far away from where we met," Percy answered the unasked question. She looked him up and down then wrinkled her nose. "You stink of sweat, go take a bath."

"Great idea," Jason said sarcastically. "With you watching me?"

"_No_!" Percy exploded, face flushed red with embarrassment. "Of course not!"

"Then how do _you_ suppose we take a bath?"

"_We_? You're the one who's going to take a bath!"

"You don't think you're very clean are you?"

"Are you saying I stink?"

"You're blunt about it to me, why shouldn't I?"

"You are so—" Percy cut herself off and muttered under her breath, "Shoot. I'm starting to sound like Clarisse."

"And who's that?" Jason asked, curious as to why Percy would want to cut herself off to comment something so insignificant. She must really hate this 'Clarisse' girl then. An enemy of an enemy was a friend; that Jason knew well since he was trained in the Legion. Maybe he and Clarisse would get along.

"Why do you care?" She shot back.

Sally sighed as she watched the two teens bicker back and forth. "I'll leave the pillows and blankets here." She tried to choose the most comfortable ones for them both and arrange it on the sofa, but she doubt that either of them heard her.

The two of them won't make it without killing one another in a day! How are they suppose to survive a week?

**JxP**

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A/N; Are they too OOC? I found that they are.

Review and tell me?


	4. Chapter 4

**What They Said About Contact**

**Chapter Four: Things Always Come Around.**

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The argument only stopped when both Percy and Jason had ran out of breath. Percy glowered at Jason; yes, she knew she was being childish but the younger teen just brought out this side of her. Just like Thalia did—but despite that, the two girls had been close friends; Percy had a feeling things won't be so easy with Jason. They... just clashed.

"That's a win for me," Jason muttered.

"In your dreams," Percy huffed but she was too tired to say anymore. She looked at the clock and nearly jumped when she noticed that it was midnight. Not surprising, her ADHD made it seemed as if times pass quickly. "I'm tired. Going to take a shower."

Jason tugged on her hand, hard and she nearly tumbled. She whipped around and glared at him. "What?"

"What about me?" the son of Jupiter asked.

"What do you mean?" Percy's brows were furrowed in confusion.

Jason didn't want to comment on how dense she was, it would only lead to another argument that would most likely last till the morning. "Our hands are connected, do you know how much trouble that will be?" He gritted out. "We can't even take our clothes off!"

Realization dawned on Percy. She took a deep breath to control her anger at Eros and Jason—he got them in trouble the first place. "We just have to cut our shirt off."

"This is the only shirt I have!" Jason protested—wasn't willing to part with his purple camp shirt. "Do you want me to go around half-naked?" His face was slightly red when he said it—he hoped his Greek counterpart wouldn't notice.

"You can borrow my step-dad's shirt!" Percy snapped, though she was a little red-faced herself. She dug into her pocket and brought out her sword. She uncapped the pen and it extended into a bronze sword. Jason recoiled as if struck.

"Celestial Bronze?" He murmured in amazement. "Where did you get it?"

Percy's face softened and she smiled slightly. Jason remembered that he actually thought Percy as beautiful—and he quite liked her—when she wasn't contradicting him and generally annoying him. He wondered what kind of fond memories she had with the sword that she smiled like that—the smile probably was the first in the whole day since she met Jason.

"A dear friend made it, thousands of years ago." Her smile turned sad, her eyes seemed to be seeing something a million miles away.

"Err... I don't get it. You're that old?" Jason scratched the back of his head, confused and slightly baffled—something which he had been feeling all day ever since he got cursed by Cupid.

Percy's smile turned into a menacing scowl. "No. I meant Zoe Nightshade, daughter of Atlas, she became a hunter of Artemis' so she's immortal—"

"Hunter of Artemis?"

"A bunch of teenage girls that'd sworn off boys— meaning, no dating and no showing interest in males—and loyal to Artemis only, so they're immortal." Percy explained. "My cousin, Bianca di Angelo, daughter of Hades was one." Her voice was bitter.

Jason didn't missed the past tense and though he was curious, he wasn't as insensitive as to confirm with Percy that her cousin was dead or not. "And...?" He probed, wishing to continue before he said something about Bianca.

"My other friend and cousin, Thalia is a Hunter too—the Lieutenant, in fact. She took Zoe's—the girl I was talking about earlier—place after the latter died."

"How?" Jason bit his tongue, regretting slightly that he'd asked.

"The both of us, and Thalia—that was before she became a hunter—and Bianca were on a quest to save Artemis, she was kidnapped. Zoe and Bianca died." Percy shrugged, as if she didn't care but Jason can tell that recounting these memories were horrible to her.

"Riptide," She looked at the sword. "once belongs to Zoe, then she gave it to Hercules and he betrayed her in the end—he was only using her." She coughed awkwardly. "So forgive me if I judged you too badly—after knowing her story and her last words, I don't hold any fondness for sons of Zeus/Jupiter anymore."

"You're judging me as you're judging him?"

Percy sighed. "Give me time." She said. "And maybe I'll find you different." She sounded doubtful, as if she couldn't believe she'll find anything good in Jason.

Something which irked him and drew another inappropriate statement out of his mouth. "You sound like you hated boys—why didn't you join Thalia when she became a Hunter of Artemis?"

That was something else he wanted to ask Percy: Thalia. Her name sounds familiar, it stirred an old memory from his childhood. Out of habit, he tapped his lips where a scar was—it seemed connected to Thalia somehow. Who was she to him anyway?

"Because I was the child of Prophecy." Percy yawned. "That's enough Q&A for today. I'm dead tired." Her expression became determined. "Right, hold still."

Jason yelped. "You're going to cut my shirt into pieces?"

"What's the problem now?" Irritation laced Percy's voice.

Jason's mouth felt dry; there were so many problems that he couldn't even begin to list them. He sighed. "An offering."

"Huh?" Percy stepped back, the tip of her sword lowering.

"If we burn an offering to Aphrodite/Venus, maybe she can lighten up our curse." Jason tried, already dragging Percy into the kitchen.

"Like how?" Percy followed, something which she rarely do; but she was too tired to argue with Jason.

Jason threw open the fridge door and started rummaging inside—which irritated Percy since he didn't even asked for permission before raiding her food. "What do girls like to eat?" Ignoring her question didn't put him in her good books.

"Low fattening yogurt." Percy rattled off the first name that came to mind when it concerned the daughters of Aphrodite—like mother like daughter, right?

"This?" Jason straightened and looked at her, raising his eyebrows. It reminded Percy why she was wary and resented him slightly in the first place. He reminded her of Luke—the guy she kinda had a crush on, but he'd turned evil and then when he was dying, decided he liked her as well—with his blonde hair and blue eyes.

But the difference between them were large as well: Luke has a sarcastic sense of humor that'd rubbed off on Percy, he had a scar on his cheek and he was taller too. Jason didn't seem to have a sense of humor, he had a small scar on his lips, he wasn't that much taller than her. (In Percy's mind that is.)

When Aphrodite told them that they were to be stuck, she thought it was to be some cruel joke. Haven't her love life been torn enough? She lost the man she loved in the last war and now, she was stuck with someone who was a painful reminder of the son of Hermes. What was she thinking? That bloody goddess better be happy with their offering and had even better, lighten their curse.

"Start a fire?" Jason suggested.

"You're seriously going to burn that yogurt?"

"What's wrong with it?" Jason asked. "I thought it's what girls like?"

"Just grab an apple"—Percy snatched an apple from inside the fridge—"and burn it. It's healthier."

"Suit yourself," Jason shrugged; to tell the truth, he was getting tired and had no wish to argue. He grabbed a frying pan and tossed the apple into it.

Percy rolled her eyes. "And now, the apple's going to burn on it's on."

Jason choked back his laughter and concentrated, he felt a tug in his abdomen and nearly grin in triumph—he usually use the air part of his father's domain, not electricity. A spark of lightning flew from his hand and fried the apple.

Hearing Percy's yelp, his eyes snapped open. "What the Hades?" Percy glared at him. "I turned on the stove and you fire lightning at me?"

"No!" Jason protested. "I was trying to start a fire!"

"See first, next time." Percy sighed tiredly, as if it was killing her to say whatever she was going to say next. "Err... Lady Aphrodite? Can you, like, lighten our curse? We can't take a bath or even take our clothes off."

"Yeah," Jason added glumly. Silently, he added, _Help us out and I'll give you a love story like no other_—his mind was working overdrive, and he was sure what he'd just offered would be something he regret later.

Something glowed above their heads; a pink out line of a bird: the shape of a dove. "She heard us?" Percy demanded incredulously. "Just like that?"

Jason offered her a weak grin—_don't jinx our luck!_—and said, "Hey, things always come around."

Yeah, right.

**JxP**

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A/N; Longer than I expected. I'm still welcoming ideas so tell me what you want in your reviews!

Merry - belated - Christmas!


	5. Chapter 5

**What They Said About Contact**

**Chapter Five: The Feeling Of His Hands.**

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After Aphrodite had answered their prayers and accepted their offerings, Jason dreaded falling asleep He just knew he would dream of the goddess. And dream of her he did. Blast it, he thought as he leaned against the wall, watching as the goddess went from one rack full of glamorous clothes to the other.

When the goddess of love made no move to acknowledge him, he cleared his throat and said, "Is there something you want from me, Lady Aphrodite?"

Aphrodite looked up, a look of surprise on her face as if she'd just noticed he was there. Then she giggled. "Oh, there you are son of Jupiter." She wriggled her eyebrows. "How thing's going on with your girlfriend?"

Jason choked on his own spit. "Percy's not my girlfriend!"

"I never said it was her." Aphrodite muttered as she turned her attention away from Jason and back to the racks of clothes. Oh wait, racks of shoes. What kind of place is this? Jason wondered. He walked around and noticed that the place was rather magical—he expected no less from a dream world—for the shelves and racks were constantly changing it's contents.

"Then who did you meant?" Jason asked, idly inspecting what was in the jewelry rack. A pair gorgeous silver plate rose stud earrings drew his attention but he balked when he saw the price. That was way too much, he didn't have that much money—mortal money; he only had drachma.

"Isn't there another girl at your camp?" For a moment, as Jason stared at Aphrodite, her form seemed to flicker. But her face remained unchanging, which made him wonder why she looked so much like someone with her dark brown hair, emerald eyes and tan skin... almost like Percy. A much older person than Percy—maybe Percy would look like that when she grew out of her teens and into a mature woman?

He coughed awkwardly when he realized he had been staring for too long. "She's just a colleague." And it was true. Sure, as a kid he had a crush on Reyna but no longer did he abhor such feelings for his fellow praetor.

"Who did I look like?"

Can the goddess read minds? But seeing as she was a goddess, Jason wouldn't put it past her. "What do you mean?" He asked. _Play dumb_, he thought to himself.

"Don't lie," Aphrodite chided gently as she walked towards him. "I know that I looked different to everyone. Especially to men, I looked like the woman they loved the most."

"Are you implying I like Per—err, someone?"

Aphrodite shrugged. "Take a female heroine for example, Percy." She winked meaningfully at Jason when she said the daughter of Poseidon's name, something which Jason pointedly ignore. "She saw her mother when she looked at me. That's the woman she loved most. So yes, you love whoever you saw in me—or perhaps... you have a crush on the girl."

Jason shall be generous and not throttle the lady beside him. "Do you want that?" Aphrodite asked, gesturing to the earrings Jason was eyeing. "I didn't know you liked feminine jewelry."

"I just thought it would suit Percy," Jason bit out, irritated. "What is your purpose for summoning me here, Lady Aphrodite?" He added the tittle so as to not sound so rude—he had no wish to be anything other than mortal.

Aphrodite smiled and clapped her hands together. "That's right!" She chortled. "You remember what you've offered me?"

"An apple?"

"No!" Aphrodite protested, pouting. "A love story like no other, you said. And for that, I've lighten up your curse: you can Percy must still be in contact 24/7, but no longer must it be through the hands. You can also separate for a few seconds, any longer and you two will fade—a compromise for my son."

"You must've heard wrong," Jason argued feebly. Wake up now, he ordered himself. He didn't want to continue this conversation. He'd heard enough; the only good thing out of this conversation was that the curse was slightly lifted—Percy didn't need to shred his clothes again!

"With who? Percy? Reyna?" Aphrodite probed. "Can you honestly say you have no interest in both girls?"

Jason thought he had no answer to that, but Aphrodite's—currently—mint eyes drew an answer right out of his mouth, "Percy is quite,,, hot." And he immediately felt like punching himself when Aphrodite squealed.

"I would very much love to make it hard for both of you—"

"You don't have to trouble yourself " Jason grumbled. "We're making it hard enough for one another as it is." Their last argument had lasted for hours. There was a reason why he was cursed with her in the first place: the least likely person you can fall in love with, remember?

"Hm, true." Aphrodite agreed; she still looked disturbingly like Percy and her eyes constantly flicker between Percy's and Reyna's eye color. "But you see, what I meant to say is that both your paths would be much harder." Her eyes held sympathy in them. "The future and the new threats arising... and not to mention: you and Percy are from different camps. Different aspects; you're Roman, she's Greek. Things will be hard."

Jason crossed his arms, "She can always come to the legion with me." Then froze, he did not just make that offer.

Aphrodite giggled, she scooped the earrings of their original perch and shove it into his hands. "Have fun. No matter how short it is, just treasure your time together."

And his vision tunneled. He stumbled and fell...

...off the sofa.

He groaned loudly. "What's wrong with you?" He demanded of Percy when he realized she was the only one in the living room and therefore, the only one who could move him.

Percy's cheeks were flushed red. "What are you doing cuddling up to me?"

Jason's cheeks felt hot now that she mention it. He didn't remember falling sleep on the sofa. He can practically hear Aphrodite's hysterical laughter; and just knew she'd been the one to meddle with their sleeping positions.

"I..." He paused when he noticed that he was starting to see through his own palm. He yelped in alarm.

"What—" Percy's eyes widened in concern as she reached out to clasp his hand, trying to inspect what's happening to it. "Your hand!" She choked. "It's fading one moment and then... when I touched your hand... it came back..."

"Right," Jason agreed numbly. The feeling of feeling your own essence fade was terrifying; he was petrified when he felt his life force sucked out. His hand unconsciously clasped hers in a death grip.

Percy frowned in concern. "Our hands are no longer stuck but... there's a price right?"

So she was as stupid as she acted after all, Jason mused silently. He nodded and started telling Percy about his conversation with Aphrodite, excluding inappropriate things concerning his feelings—that he still couldn't figure out—for Percy.

Percy sighed and muttered, "I knew it." Then she frowned. "What's this in your hands, Jason?" She held out the earrings Jason had been eyeing earlier in his dream, the one Aphrodite shoved into his hands. Did she want him to give it to Percy?

"Do you want it?" He asked.

"Why would I want it?" She raised an eyebrow in surprise. "It's pretty, yes. But if you're planning on giving it to someone..."

She trailed off when Jason's hand reached out to clasped the earrings on Percy's ears. Once more, heat rushed rapidly to Percy's cheeks—the second time this morning, all because of Jason.

She also noticed something just now. The feeling of his hands... were warm. Comfortably so—almost like her mother's comforting touch but different as well.

A smile unconsciously tugged on her lips.

**JxP**

* * *

A/N; Any progress in their relationship? What do you think?

Oh, I also posted a Percy/Fem!Nico one-shot. Go check it out if you will.

P.S: Would you read it if I write a Naruto and PJO crossover?


	6. Chapter 6

**What They Said About Contact**

**Chapter Six: Reason To Go.**

* * *

Percy glared resentfully at the calender. For what reasons, Jason had no idea. Sally and Paul were out on a little date on their own, leaving the two teenagers in the apartment. The day was nice, a good weather and he was stuck inside the house because the daughter of Poseidon had no wish to go out.

Five minutes past in silence.

Being ADHD like all demigods do, Jason was bored out of his mind. He could join Percy in staring at the calender but it was to no significance to him—he couldn't even make heads or tails out of the words.

Another five minutes passed.

"Okay, mind telling me what has the calender done to annoy you?" Jason broke the silence with a sarcastic tone tainted question.

Percy's sea-green eyes darkened to a murky green. "Today..." she mumbled. "is the day I usually go to Camp."

That got Jason interested. Percy had never told him anything about her camp before—which made him wonder how different Camp Half-Blood is from Camp Jupiter. "Why didn't you pack up and go then?"

Her face soured. "With you?"

"What's wrong with me?" Jason felt offended. Sure, he was arrogant at times—he was willing to admit—and just because he didn't really get along with Percy didn't mean he couldn't with the others.

"How am I going to explain your existence?" Percy asked, sighing mournfully.

Her glum and unhappy face made Jason feel guilty. He knew how much she enjoyed time at Camp, unlike him who had lived his whole life at the Roman Camp and so, didn't have much longing to go back there. He'd rather be out in the mortal world—there are so many things of interest to him.

"I'm a son of Jupiter." He said, not getting her point. "What's so hard telling them?"

Percy frowned. "You said you're from a Roman camp. If there's another camp where demigods can go to survive, why hadn't we heard of it?"

"Maybe you guys hadn't heard from one another for so long that you just forgot?"

"No." Percy decided firmly. "You're a son of Zeus in Greek terms, Chiron would've told me if there's another child of the one of the Big Three. The child of prophecy wouldn't be necessarily me then."

"Child of prophecy..." Jason mused. "You never did tell me about the prophecy you've been through."

"It involves dangerous quests, monsters, Titans, betrayal, pain and..." Percy looked away. "...death." It was uttered in such a soft voice that Jason nearly missed it. He decided not to ask anymore concerning the war.

Jason shuffled his feet. In the battle at Mount Orthys that he'd led, he saw death as well, in the face of his comrades. "Life goes on. We'll see them one day anyway."

Percy smiled slightly. "With our luck, it'll be rather quick."

The building shook.

"You jinxed it." Jason muttered.

Hand in hand, unwillingly, the two children of the Big Three ran to the balcony to inspect whatever had happened.

"By the way, if we're going to fight... how do we do it with our hands together?" Percy asked.

Jason opened his mouth to answer, then snap it shut again. "I don't know." He said.

"You're useless," the brunette grumbled.

The son of Jupiter's eyebrow twitched. "If you're so smart then why did you have to ask me?"

"I never said I was smart!"

"Are you trying to say you're the otherwise?"

Percy was about to strangle him when a mighty roar quite near to them shook them. Percy recognized what it was immediately. "Here we go again," she muttered. "Percy Jackson and her horrible luck. Why can't it just stay dead?"

"You killed it before?" Jason was impressed, not that he'll admit it.

"No," the girl admitted. "I kinda ran away." At Jason's blank stare, she said defensively, "Hey, I was twelve back then! No training yet."

"You weren't trained from young?" How different are the Greeks from the Romans? Jason thought, baffled. If she had only four years of training, how can her powers challenged his? He'd been training since he was three for crying out loud!

"No! I started when I was twelve!" The sound of glasses being broken—most likely the windows being smashed to bits—and the screams of innocent bystanders drew the two heroes attention from one another to them.

"Where did it come from?" Jason asked, leaning out to see where the damage was from.

"Above us!" Percy dragged Jason out of their apartment door and to the stairs.

"We're at the highest floor!" the blonde protested.

"It means that whoever it is, is at the rooftop!"

"All right, neither of us can fight with only one hand," Jason stated. "How do we fight?"

"We'll just... uh, improvise." Percy replied, sprinting towards the stairwell.

"Then we don't stand a chance if it's a fast monster." Jason hissed.

"Just think positively," she muttered. "Maybe it's just the janitor making a roof repair."

"Why did he roar?"

"He hit his…. thumb with a… hammer," Percy wheezed, out of breath from running up the stairs. She yanked open the door and gasped in horror.

She heard Jason mumble, "That's not the janitor…" _Not that it mattered_, she thought silently.

"Which sword?" Percy asked though her hand was already reaching for Riptide.

"I'm quite curious as to how Celestial Bronze works anyway." Jason quirked a smile. Then it dropped when his gaze landed on the Chimera. His captive must be a demigod, he thought.

Riptide extended into a deadly bronze sword; it's aura made the Chimera roar in fury once it spotted it or maybe... because it spotted a prey that had escaped him once. Jason clasped his hand over Percy's.

"Hold on," He warned as the wind picked up around them. One arm wrapped around Percy, they both were lifted into the air. "The maw! Stab him there!"

The Chimera made the mistake of roaring at them—though it nearly made them go deaf, it didn't distract them for long—and Riptide was through him before he knew.

Percy looked at him with new-found respect. "Wow, you can control air?"

"Yeah." Jason felt slightly smug that he managed to impress the daughter of Poseidon.

"Never seen Thalia use it though it may be because she's scared of heights..." Percy mumbled to herself but Jason heard it anyway. The name Thalia rang many bells in his head but he still couldn't place her relation to him—other than she was a daughter of the sky god too.

"I think we can conclude that the Chimera was after this young girl for some reason. We can't know what that reason is though until she wakes," Percy said.

_Well duh, Percy! I mean, come on. Monsters don't just attack _anyone,_ do they_?—Jason rolled his eyes and knelt to check on the blonde girl; she seemed to be about ten or nine year old. "What do we do with her?"

"She may be a daughter of Athena—blonde hair and all." Percy guessed, not noticing Jason's baffled look. Only when he didn't say anything and was still looking at her did she noticed his odd reaction to what she'd just said. She was confused as to why he's gawking at her—though she had to admit he was rather cute doing so.

"Athena... as in Minerva?"

Percy raised an eyebrow. "That's the name of her Roman aspect? If so, yeah. Why are you so surprise that the girl may be a daughter of Athena?"

"But—Minerva's a virgin goddess..."

"Oh." Percy clapped her hands in realization. "Well, since Minerva's born from Zeus' split skull... her kids are born the same way."

Jason made a choking sound. "With a split skull of the mortal father?" His face turned green with disgust and he inched slowly away from the blonde.

"No—Athena visualize how her children will look and then if—tada!—they're born!" Percy explained. "Anyway, what do we do with her?"

"Let's bring her to your Camp." Jason suggested lazily.

Percy seemed conflicted. "But—"

"I'll be fine," Jason reassured her. "We'll make up a story or something. And shouldn't you be rejoicing or something? I'm—we, me and her—are giving you a reason to go to the camp you love so much. Shouldn't you be happy and leap at the chance to do so?"

For the first time in that day, Percy smiled a genuine smile.

And even though going to a camp full of Greeks made many alarm bells ring in Jason's head, his thought remained the same: It was worth it after seeing that smile.

**JxP**

* * *

A/N; So the blonde girl they saved... do you want her to have an important role?

And who's daughter do you want her to be? Hestia? Athena? Apollo? Hermes? As long as it's not one of the Big Three.


	7. Chapter 7

**What They Said About Contact**

**Chapter Seven: Jealousy On Both Accounts. Sorting Feelings Out.**

* * *

Percy gritted her teeth and tried to keep herself from lashing out. She drilled holes into the back of the blonde girl's head. Her name was Alexa Sol, daughter of Apollo; the girl she and Jason had saved. Normally, Percy saved people and rarely ever did she cursed someone and wished them for the dead. But now, seeing Alexa latching on to Jason's other arm, she wished they'd left her for the dead at the Chimera's hand.

Alexa didn't even thank her—only having eyes for Jason. But the attention wasn't what Percy was jealous of. It was the fact that Alexa keep sticking to Jason's other side like a leech. And the campers were already spreading inappropriate and incorrect rumors—"Who's son is he; a son of Aphrodite? What a playboy." "Why would Percy like someone like him? She deserves someone better, our hero!" "That man's a cradle robber, our little sister's still eleven for Apollo's sake!"—which tarnished Jason's reputation.

It wasn't jealousy.

Percy glared at Jason who was... "Why are _you_ touching _her_ hair?"

Percy stared at the hand tangled in the daughter of Apollo's hair, then glanced at the girl herself who seemed entirely too flustered to properly react. She then looked at Jason, who didn't seem to think anything was wrong with such a move. The daughter of Poseidon, on the other hand, was entirely aggravated. Why was he touching her hair? Why was he smiling?

So she interrupted their little moment, having had enough of watching them float in their little bubble of a new friendship, and spoke up. Her tone had been a little sharper than intended, too full of hurt. She'd wanted to sound indifferent, but the very sight of this girl together with Jason made her blood boil.

It _wasn't_ jealousy.

Jason's instant reaction, his hand pulling back as if it had been burned, pleased her. She crossed her arms, eyes narrowed. "Well?"

"What do you mean?" Jason asked coolly.

Irritation laced Percy's voice as she spoke. "Why are you touching her?" Damn, she was starting to sound like Annabeth. The daughter of Athena was very protective of her friends and disliked strangers touching her friends, Percy must've got it from her.

"Why are you glaring at her?" Jason felt defensive of his new friend. And Percy—sweet, caring and friendly Percy—uncharacteristically glaring at his new little friend. He couldn't see why Percy would hate such a nice and sweet little girl.

"Answer my question first." The brunette snapped.

"I'm just untangling a knot in her hair," Jason replied, irritated because Percy was irritated. He found his moods these days greatly affected by her. Whatever she disliked influenced him to not like it as well, but strangely, these changed when it came to Alexa. "Now, answer mine."

"I didn't glare at her." Percy muttered sourly.

"You did!" Jason accused.

Alexa looked between the two worriedly. Having a daughter of Aphrodite as her mother, Alexa can naturally sense when someone's in love. And the chemistry between the blonde and brunette seemed right. But they were both too blind to realized it yet. So she decided to lend a hand, and it worked—Percy was jealous. Unfortunately, the daughter of Poseidon couldn't place her feelings. Which were making things worse.

"Um," Alexa finally got the guts to interrupt the two older teens so she tried to intervene when things were starting to go bad: Jason had sparks flying off his body and Percy's eyes were an ominous shade of murky green. "Let's not fight." She mumbled but she doubted any of them heard her.

"—She's nice—unlike you who's hotheaded!"

Alexa resisted the urge to elbow Jason, whom she'd come to view as an older brother—possible seeing as he had blonde hair and blue eyes too, and that he didn't know who his godly parent was—for his wrong choice of words.

And things did get bad. Tears pooled in the daughter of Poseidon's eyes—whether from anger or sadness, Alexa didn't know. Sea-green eyes shifted to her and she flinched, slowly inching behind the blonde male.

"Fine then," Percy snapped, wrenching her hand away from Jason's grip. "Go enjoy your time at camp with her." Before either Jason or Alexa could protest, she ran off.

Campers that'd gathered earlier when they heard the argument between Jason and Percy were starting to murmur among themselves. One of the campers—a girl with blonde hair and intense grey eyes—stormed toward Jason and Alexa. She was definitely a daughter of Athena with the intelligent grey eyes.

She looked anything but happy. "You"—she jabbed her thumb in Jason's direction—"better apologize to Percy once I find her. Or else, once I'm done with you, you'll be sorry you were ever born!" Her right hand was dangerously close to her bronze dagger.

Alexa didn't need to be a mind reader to know that this daughter of Athena and Percy were best friends. The fierce light of protectiveness in the blonde's eyes was more than enough of a statement. Alexa looked at Jason who had suddenly turned very pale.

"We should go find her. Quickly!" Alexa tugged on Jason's arm. "The curse—"

"Has disappeared." Jason finished, marveling at his hand that hadn't fade. The last time they'd experiment on how long they can remain separated, Jason's hand had instantly started fading, pain making him crumple to the ground, but now... "I'm free!"

Alexa bit her lip. "But you still need to apologize to Percy!"

Jason scowled. "Why should I?" He asked peevishly, obviously not happy that someone dared to insult him and defy him.

It was Alexa's turn to scowl. "You've hurt her feelings! She's just jealous! Are you that blind?"

Jason's jaw dropped. He thought Alexa wasn't someone that insult others but apparently, he was wrong. "You—I—What's Percy's jealous about?" He'd always thought Percy to be the obtuse one, but now, he felt as if he was the one obtuse.

"She likes you!"

Maybe it was time he fainted.

**JxP**

Percy slowed down, panting harshly. She wiped the tears that threatened to spill out of her eyes. "That idiot..." she choked. She looked around and realized that she was at the creek, deep in the forest. She climbed Zeus' Fist—better known as the Poop Pile—and sat down, pulling her knees up to her chest and resting her head on it.

"It's hard isn't it? Seeing someone you love with someone else?"

Percy nearly tumbled off her perch, surprised by the new but familiar voice. She leaned forward to see properly. "Lady Aphrodite...?" She asked hesitantly, seeing a woman sitting by the creek.

The goddess smiled up sympathetically at Percy. Her appearance was different this time, no surprise but it still surprised Percy that the goddess of love resembled a female version of Jason: same electric blue eyes, tan skin and neat blonde hair. She hoped it didn't meant what she thought it was.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Aphrodite wailed dramatically. "I should've known better—being the goddess of love and all. The point is: I really thought you and Jason would work out!"

"Obviously it didn't," Percy muttered gloomily.

Aphrodite pulled Percy into a hug that the latter did not give consent to. "Hey—" she protested, or tried to anyway. The daughter of Oceanus nearly suffocated her.

"What. Are. You. Doing. To. Her."

Percy pulled away from Aphrodite and turned to glower at Jason. "Why do you care?"

"I came to find you." Jason said, crossing his arms, glaring hostilely at the... He blinked. "Lady Aphrodite?" He asked. He'd thought, from afar, he saw a man hugging Percy. Was it a trick from the goddess?

Said goddess merely winked then disappeared.

An awkward silence descended on the two teens. Percy stood up, and stared at Jason in a way that unnerved him. "When I first met you, I hated you." The brunette admitted. "You looked too much like Luke for my liking."

"Who's he?" A strange feeling bubbled in Jason which made him uncomfortable. He thought it was unease before he realized it was jealousy.

"Someone I liked." Jason felt like someone had punched him in the gut; the strange feeling—_jealousy_—burned like acid. "Then he died on me, right after he told me he liked me back."

"I'm not him." Jason said quietly. "I won't die on you."

Percy didn't answer, choosing to stare listlessly at the river. Jason shifted closer to her, till his chest was brushing her shoulder and yet, she didn't turn to look at him. "You're different," he murmured. "from all the girls I'd known."

From the side, he can see the quirk in her lips. "How so?" she turned to face him fully, lips quirked up into a smirk and before he had more time to think on it, he leaned down and pressed his lips onto hers.

**JxP**

* * *

A/N; Is it too rushed? Tell me your opinion! Do you want Alexa do have an important role? Would you like it if I paired her with Nico?

-0-

AbigailPaine; It won't end soon. The events in Lost Hero is drawing closer!

foreverchocolate; Thanks for the compliment. A daughter of Apollo, I made her be because there really aren't enough stories about children of Apollo.

Eurwen de Vrill; Sorry, I plan on making her an important character. And since there's no child of Apollo aboard the ArgoII... I got thinking.

PinkBell; Yes, Mark Athena concerns Annabeth right? And yes, there's just going to be slight Luke/Percy. Mostly memories. I agree about Apollo's children having less screen time.

Onlyafraidoffear; Hestia can have children another way in my mind. And I hope a daughter of Apollo won't get you mad.

Assyna Hunter of Artemis; Since you said whatever, I don't you'll mind who Alexa turned out as.

coolo123; You've got what you wanted.

AnimexMangaAddict; Thanks. I updated as soon as I can.

PJandLGequalsLove; Thanks.

she-who-wanted-hyphens; I made it the other way around. What do you think?

BookLover2401; Daughter of Apollo, fulfilled. But I chose to make her a legacy of Aphrodite, since it's important for Percy's and Jason's relationship.

Iluvcandy; Thanks for your suggestion. And do you think I should make Alexa as a Mary-Sue? I don't know how though.

E.L Archibald; I agree with you, more screen time for children of Apollo! And what do you mean by adding more details?

Percabeth1656; Sorry, not many people voted for her godly parent to be Hestia.

BettyBoo; No legacy of Hestia. But daughter of Apollo.

Alice Delcaour; She's a daughter of Apollo but she'll have just a slight crush on Jason. I'm planning on pairing her with Nico, what do you think?

xxDarkHuntress23xx; Sorry. Keep reviewing!

-0-

Alexa will be in the Heroes of Olympus series... do you want that? Paired with Nico.


	8. Chapter 8

**What They Said About Contact**

**Chapter Eight: Shattered.**

* * *

Jason pulled back abruptly, berating himself—_what was he thinking?!_—as he took a few steps back, just in case; the daughter of Poseidon might want to murder him for kissing her.

There was an awkward pause.

"What was _that_?" Percy asked, fingers touching her lips.

"A kiss," Jason replied stupidly. And he instantly felt like decking himself on the head. He must've been spending too much time with Percy if he was getting this obtuse.

"I _know_ that!" Percy said, cheeks flaming—easily visible under the moonlight. "I meant, why did you do it?"

"Is it wrong?"

"Without a reason—a valid one—yes!"

Silence reigned between them.

Until it was broken by none other than the daughter of Apollo and Percy's best friend, Annabeth. "Percy!" the daughter of Athena called, rushing to where her best friend stood. She didn't miss how awkward and tense Jason and Percy were or how Percy's cheeks were aflame.

She glowered at the son of Jupiter. One almost enough to make him grovel. Almost.

Alexa noticed how odd the two children of the Big Three were, but not as much as Annabeth did. "Jason! Percy! We've found you!"

"Well, duh." Percy responded sarcastically.

But the sarcasm flew right past the daughter of Apollo's head. "It's time to gather around the campfire. Mr. D said that it you don't go soon, he'll make the curse permanent." Alexa delivered it in a sing-song voice, as if she didn't register how serious such things were.

"You... do know that's bad right?" Jason asked, trying to act surprise when Percy's hand slipped into his. But he wasn't that surprised, really. He'd gotten used to her hand and it felt odd when she wasn't holding onto his hand—he was also pretty sure she felt the same way.

"Not at all!" Alexa replied cheerfully. Annabeth stared at her as if she was crazy, a look of _what the Hades is wrong with you, kid_? "I mean, you two like each other right? Even if it's permanent, I don't think either of you will mind."

Percy and Jason made choked sounds and started protesting but Annabeth cut them off. "Just admit it. Now let's go before Mr.D murder us."

Annabeth huffed a laugh, placing a hand on Alexa's shoulder to steer her away to avoid running into a tree. The daughter of Athena refrained from rolling her eyes when Percy and Jason started bickering about something inane. Again. It made her wonder how they were so into one another yet desired so much to throttle the other.

She supposed the saying of opposites attract were true after all.

That night, after the gathering at the bonfire ended, Jason chanced a kiss at Percy—which was most likely to rile her up. Which had made the whole camp go into an uproar. Annabeth and Alexa laughed as the son of Jupiter and daughter of Poseidon were thrown into the lake.

They didn't surface for a long, long time.

**JxP**

Hera's eyes narrowed contemplatively as she watched the mirror—powered by her magic as a goddess—as it showed her champion, Jason and her brother's first and to date, only daughter. She didn't have anything against Jason but she felt slight resentment for the upstart daughter of Poseidon.

But her hate for the mint-eyed girl wasn't as much as it was for the daughter of Athena.

Thinking about that blonde girl just made Hera's blood boil. But the Juno side of her reminded her that it wasn't important, revenge on Athena's daughter will just be dealt later.

Hera smirked smugly when she thought of how easily she could wipe off the smiles on both heroes of Olympus' smiles—among their friends, their smiles are blindingly bright and contagious to other campers. With just a snap of her fingers, their memories would disappear and they would slumber until they are needed. She had more use for Jason now than Percy; the daughter of Poseidon is just too unpredictable, she'd inherited her father's nature which is not good and might jeopardized Hera's and Juno's well-laid plans.

"What are you doing?" A voice asked icily.

Hera whirled around, shocked and slightly panicked to face Athena's stern face. The goddess of wisdom's face was stormy; Hera could practically hear the gears in her brain whirling, piecing everything together once she caught sight of the magic mirror behind Hera.

"You couldn't possibly be—"

"Yes, I am." Hera cut in. "Don't bother stopping me. This must be done for the sake of our peace."

"What about their peace?" Athena spat, eyes flaring with anger as she gestured to the mirror showing Percy and Jason playing beach volleyball with other campers from other cabins, the other campers gathering around to watch and make bets. But there was one thing they were all doing: enjoying themselves and grinning.

But both goddesses knew that taking Percy away would shatter that image. Just like how Jason's disappearance had done to Camp Jupiter.

"You should take your leave"—Hera's form flickered as she smiled cruelly, she will enjoy this—"_Minerva._"

Every gods and goddesses and those of their heritage knew of the day Athena was made a mockery by the Romans; they'd torn down everything the goddess had stood for. Poseidon had even comforted her, choosing for once not to mock her or made fun of her for anything at Athena's look of anguish and horror.

Athena's hair flickered between black and blonde—the only physical changes in her Roman and Greek forms. She glowered at Hera. "I will remember this." The voice was still Athena's.

Hera's form finally stopped flickering once Juno fully emerged as the dominant person for now. "Why do you care so much?" the Queen of the Heavens demanded coldly.

"Don't think I will just stand by as you put my granddaughter through your foolish half-assed plans." Athena snarled, clutching her head as if she was having a migraine of the century. Seeing the great differences between Athena and Minerva, Juno must concede that yes, she was having just that kind of migraine.

"Granddaughter?" Juno's eyebrow rose. Flitting through her Greek counterpart's memories, she found it fitting that Athena didn't treat Percy like she did to other children of Poseidon. There was a certain fondness for Percy, as if what the girl did that would normally be considered stupid in Athena's eyes was cute.

"Mark my words," Athena staggered backwards. "Venus will make you pay for messing with her great-granddaughter."

Then the goddess of wisdom disappeared in a flurry of feathers.

Listlessly, Juno plucked the feather of an owl from the air and studied it for no apparent reason. What Athena had just told her only made things more perfect in Juno's mind; Percy was of Roman and Greek blood, the perfect bridge. Jason's and her coupling would only bring the Romans and Greeks closer.

Juno then turned back to the mirror where dusk had long past and night settled in, the moon presided by Artemis rising in the night sky. The camp which was earlier filled with a flurry of activities, was now quiet.

Her champion was asleep, curled up by the daughter of Poseidon's side, on arm wrapped protectively around her in the girl's cabin.

She felt no remorse even as half the mirror cracked and shattered.

The image left in it, through the cracked glass was only of rustled bed-sheets.

And all that was left was the sounds of shattering.

**JxP**

* * *

A/N; I'm going to take a reviewer's advice and answer individually to each one of your reviews. The important ones would be answered on chapter, to inform others for example.


	9. Chapter 9

**What They Said About Contact**

**Chapter Nine: Like A Record On Repeat.**

* * *

Even before he got electrocuted, Jason was already having a rotten day.

He woke up in the back seat of a bus, not sure where he was, holding hands with a girl he didn't know. That wasn't necessarily the rotten part. The girl was sort of cute, but he couldn't figure out who she was or what they were doing holding hands. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, trying to think.

His head was pounding—he must have hit it hard. He tried to think back...the last thing he remembered...

A pair of sea-green eyes and brown hair flash before him.

The girl squeezed his hand, "Jason, are you okay?"

He looked at her, his throat felt dry but at least he can speak. "Percy?"

The girl frowned at him. "I'm Piper, Jason, you know that. Why are you—"

Jason forcefully ripped his hand away from her. "Where's Percy?" he demanded, his eyes wild and demanding, hungering for a familiar face; for his girlfriend's presence. "What am I doing here?"

"Jason?" someone else called his name and he turned towards the guy that had said his name as if they were friends. He seriously didn't know any of them; so why did they act as if they were familiar with one another? "What's wrong, man?"

"I—" he'd meant to ask about himself, something, anything but he can only draw back to one point. "Where's Percy? Who're you?"

The girl who called herself Piper frowned and tried to take his hand again. But he pulled back as if she was meant to burn him. "Who's Percy?" she looked at the Hispanic boy that seemed to know Jason. "Do you know him, Leo?"

"Who?" the boy called Leo raised an eyebrow, his leg never stopped in it's jiggling. "This Percy guy? No, I don't know him."

"No," Jason protested. "Percy's a girl. She's _my_ girlfriend. What did you do to her?"

"Girlfriend?" Piper asked, her eyes flashed with hurt. "But I'm your girlfriend! Jason... you're acting strange today."

"I don't even know you," Jason snapped. "Don't touch me!" he all but snarl when Piper tried to hold his hand.

"What's wrong, man, seriously? You're freaking us out, dude. Everyone knows that you and Piper have been going out for the past few weeks—" Leo was interrupted by the man in front of the bus. "Aw—man!" he whined. "I miss the chance for a perfect prank."

He turned back to Jason, ignoring the coach's orders for them to shut up."Hey, you're making it up by sharing your worksheet with mine okay? I lost mine in a prank a few days ago."

"I don't know," Jason said. "I really don't know anymore."

He didn't know anything but his name and another name: Percy.

And the fact that he wanted to see her now.

**JxP**

Jason may have lost his memory, but he definitely didn't lost his gut instinct. The moment he threw himself off the cliff to catch Piper, he knew he can somehow survive the fall. And it turns out, he can fly. For any other guy, they would've enjoyed having a pretty girl clinging to them but Jason didn't enjoy it in the least bit.

It felt wrong. The good thing he got out of it was that he managed to save Piper's life and remember a moment from the time he spent with Percy.

But things go haywire the moment Jason and Piper landed on ground again. Coach Hedge got captured by the _ventis_ and they're going to die. Then the one of the _ventis_ blasted Jason's shoe off and would have smite him but his body was sturdy enough to withstand the electrocution.

Then once the _venti_s fled, a chariot pulled by_ pegasi_s landed in front of them. As if the day couldn't be anymore odd. Piper and Leo looked ready to faint but not Jason. He had the feeling that he'd been through much worse than this.

"Jason!"

Jason braced himself as the blonde-haired little girl barreled into his arms. He expected the unfamiliar feeling when skin contact approach, just as he'd felt with Piper's hand. But the little girl didn't feel odd in his arms.

"You... who're you?" Jason asked rather bluntly.

The little girl pulled back, her brown eyes that seemed to reflect the sun even in the storm held confusion in them. "Don't you remember me?" Her lower lip trembled as if she was about to cry.

Jason struggled for some recognition, but to no avail. "Sorry," he said, guilt cutting through him at the little girl's expression. "I don't remember you. Heck, I don't remember anything about me but my name and girlfriend."

"You remember Percy?"

Jason looked up to find the source of the new voice. The blonde girl with steely grey eyes was familiar too, but he couldn't place who she was. Then remembering that she was—impatiently—waiting for an answer, he replied, "Yes. Do you know her?"

"Know her?" the blonde girl spat with venom. "She's my best friend. And Jason—if I ever found out that you'd done something to her... oh so help me, Zeus, I'm going to murder you!" she all but snarled.

From behind him, Jason heard Leo wolf-whistle. "Just my kind of gal." He laughed. But he shut up once Annabeth and Piper toss him looks that could have freeze fire.

"Jason, Jason," the little girl tugged on his sleeve for his attention and he looked down at her inquiringly. "You really don't remember me? It's me, Alexa. You and Percy brought me to Camp."

"I—I really don't remember. Sorry... Alexa..."

The daughter of Apollo managed a shaky smile. "It's okay." She said. But they all knew those words were only meant to be comforting; things weren't okay at all.

**JxP**

Leo wasn't actually an eavesdropper, but even he couldn't help but be intrigued at what Alexa told to Jason. Stories of the place they're going to: Camp Half-Blood.

"Is this some sort of sick joke?" Piper demanded.

Leo looked at his friend curiously. Ever since she'd found out that Jason didn't know her and had already had a girlfriend, she was far from friendly. He wondered how beautiful Jason's girlfriend was if he wanted to dump someone as beautiful as Piper for her.

He turned back to Annabeth when she reassured Piper that this wasn't any kind of joke. Oh, the daughter of Athena was beautiful, with her blonde hair and grey eyes that could kill. She looked like someone who could seriously kick ass and wouldn't give Leo anytime of the day: just Leo's kind of girl. He couldn't wait to get to know more about her.

He already liked what he knew about her. Loyal and loved her friend dearly—she's ready to kill Jason for her best friend; something Leo wasn't sure he can do. She's definitely smart and brave as well. And a great leader too, he thought as they plummeted down towards the lake in camp. She didn't even panic even though Leo was screaming his head off.

Just his kind of girl.

"Are you okay?"

Leo blinked and smiled dazedly at Annabeth who had pulled him out of the lake—he can't swim; so embarrassing. "Yeah," he coughed water out. "I'm just peachy."

Thanks to an odd device, Leo and his friends were dry in seconds. Immediately, a few campers swarmed Jason, demanding something along the lines of, "Where's Percy?"

Leo may be oblivious at times, but he wasn't a blind fool. He could tell in an instant that this Percy girl was someone important to everyone in Camp. But just for reassurance and for a chance to talk to the hot daughter of Athena, he asked her, "So... is Percy the leader of Camp or something?"

A ghost of a smile tugged on Annabeth's lips. "She's a daughter of Poseidon. Yeah, and unofficial leader of Camp Half-Blood."

"How did—"

"No past tense." Annabeth snapped. Under the sunlight, Leo can make out the unshed tears; Annabeth was scared that her best friend was truly dead, he realized. He hastily backtracked.

"Is she pretty?" he asked instead.

"Ask Jason. He has a picture of her. She's his girlfriend after all, assuming he didn't do something to hurt her."

And with that, the daughter of Athena stormed off towards a... man in a wheelchair. "I still like her," Leo said to no one in particular.

He managed to catch up with Jason and Piper and that little Alexa girl. "Hey, dude," he slung an arm around Jason's shoulders, ignoring how the blonde had tensed. "Show me a picture of your girlfriend!" he said excitedly.

Jason frowned. "She's mine," he muttered. His hand dug into his pocket for something. He brought out a picture which have Leo and Piper leaning in to see.

"She's beautiful..." Piper murmured in wonder.

"Hot, yeah." Leo agreed.

"No touching," Jason said, tone light-hearted.

Leo's grin didn't dim. Things may be different now, but hey... things always work out somehow.

**LxA**

* * *

A/N; I have a website up to show how they look like. Go check it out and tell me what you think.

Review!


	10. Chapter 10

**What They Said About Contact**

**Chapter Ten: Ache.**

* * *

Jason, Percy decided, was someone that the whole Camp knew and love. Sure, in the back of her mind she remembered who her boyfriend was and has the inkling that he was someone important in his own home. When she'd introduced herself, saying that she knew Jason and was his girlfriend, that Reyna girl seemed to hate her even more.

Percy was pretty sure the daughter of Bellona had something against her.

Personally.

Percy was quite good at reading faces, but she wasn't sure whether or not she could tell the face on Reyna's was one of joy or dread. When they'd found out that Percy must be on that suicide quest.

She supposed it was a mixture of both, the daughter of Poseidon decided as she watched Reyna storm into the room. And immediately, Percy felt panic rise when Reyna whirled on her, dagger in hand.

The Greek child's guard flew up as she started to rise from the seat reserved for praetors—Jason's seat though she was sure he wouldn't mind his girlfriend sitting on it—which she'd dragged to the visitors side to sit on since she knew Reyna wouldn't appreciate her sitting as a praetor when Reyna snapped, "Stay seated," she herself sat on the other praetor seat, eyeing the chair Percy was sitting on with an unknown emotion. "We have things to talk about."

"Which is...?" Percy inquired lazily.

Reyna's eyes flashed which made Percy think that if the other girl made a sudden movement, it won't be for the bowl of sweets. Percy sat up straighter as Reyna explained the situation—"I won't accept Octavian as my partner; but if things become that dire... I just might have to. I need to protect my home."—and finally, the offer to be a praetor.

"Me?" Percy asked, stunned. "Why?"

"Because I don't want Octavian to be by my side as praetor. He'll turn everyone against me instead." Reyna replied bitterly. "And with Jason gone..."

She trailed off but Percy knew what she was about to say next. The implication of it. She weighted what she should do in her mind and firmly shook her head, rejecting the proposal before leaving for the quest.

She took a last long look at Camp Jupiter before leaving, knowing that she wouldn't be back for a long, long time.

**JxP**

If it was possible for Jason to feel worse—after knowing that Percy couldn't remember him and possibly dead somewhere, he couldn't possibly think anything could be worse—he did.

Piper had made it more than obvious that she liked him.

But Jason did not harbor such feelings for her.

Something which did not seemed to be able to cement into Piper's head. Leo only threw him sympathetic glances when the son of Jupiter looked to him and Annabeth for help. Annabeth was glowering at him, then at Piper before rather roughly—but Piper wasn't disturbed, having been too tired to care—pulling her away from Jason for which he was grateful for.

Her warmth had been nice against the biting, freezing cold winds. But it just made him ache for Percy's warmth instead. Just his girlfriend's, not someone else. He didn't want to be a playboy like his father is; didn't want to cheat on Percy—even if just for a moment—and suffer both hers and her father's wrath and who knows what else.

The daughter of Athena had relented from her search for Percy to join them in this quest. It was mostly thanks to Leo's wonderful persuasion skills—which consisted of many wheedling, fake-tears, grovelling and shouting etc.—which wasn't all that impressive now that he thought about it.

It was just plain childish and irritating which was why Annabeth had agreed to go. To shut him up.

But as annoying Piper was to the point of Jason wanting to shock her, she proved herself useful on the quest. And prophecy said they needed her; just as she needed them to save her father.

Charmspeaking was one interesting and useful ability, Jason decided.

Then with a jolt, he realized that Piper could easily charmspeak him to fall in love with her or forget what little he still remembered of Percy.

For the rest of the ride on Festus, neither Leo nor Annabeth knew why Jason avoided going anywhere near Piper when she was awake like the plague.

They didn't bother asking either.

Too interested in one another's life.

**LxA**

Memory loss sucks, Percy decided as she glared at the boat. Though she'd said she'd go to get some water for Hazel, she'd ended up glaring at the boat as if it'd wronged her. In truth, she just wanted to give time for some 'Frazel' moment between the two of them.

They were so into another and yet, they were too oblivious to figure it out, Percy shook her head as she made her way back to where her questmates were, only to be faced with a panicking Frank.

"What's wrong?" she immediately asked, concern flaring in her chest once she noticed that the daughter of Pluto wasn't there.

"She's been draged away by some weeds!"

Percy drew her sword. "And why did you just stand here and panic?" she demanded incredulously.

"Because I was waiting for you," Frank replied nervously fiddling with his bow as the two made their way to, hopefully, where Hazel was. "I don't think I will be strong enough to take the monster on by myself. You're much more experience and powerful and—"

The son of Mars probably could've gone on and on about Percy's great battle qualities but Hazel's scream stopped him from doing so. He instantly turned into a knight in shining armor just for Hazel. In a split second after the scream, his face changed from uncertain and terrified to brave-read-to-take-any-kind-of-monsters on face.

"Let's go," he said—more like ordered though. "We have to hurry. Hazel needs us."

Percy resisted the urge to say 'Well, duh' and instead, just nodded. She was surprised by his quick change in attitude. But she supposed that love could do that to someone.

She turned her head away when Hazel's eyes lit up like fireworks once she caught sight og Frank; obviously seeing him as her knight in shining armor.

She couldn't bear to watch. Not out of disgust, but because she didn't want them to see how uncomfortable she was. It reminded her too much of Jason. Of her heart that ached to be near him now.

Just as she opened her mouth to say something, she staggered as a memory ran through her mind. Of a blonde little boy that looked suspiciously like Jason and her as a child. He was, fighting with some older guys while she sat back and watched, sniffling slightly, bruised with cuts.

"Percy?"

The daughter of Poseidon shook her head and reached for a lighter. She sparked the match and threatened them, "Get lost!" she snapped. "Or I'll burn this place to the ground."

"She'll really do it!" Hazel called out from behind her and Frank. "She's that crazy!"

Percy huffed at that but seeing the wheat monsters retreat was worth it.

For the rest of the journey, she pondered on that odd memory. She would have continued to do so if they hadn't encountered the Giant and his army of monsters.

The moment she saw the giant, the daughter of Poseidon's vision filled with black spots and she faintly heard someone call her name before the world before her eyes tunneled.

**JxP**

* * *

**A/N; Can anyone guess what that memory's of? What's it's importance in this story?**

**P.S: Frazel is the official name of the Frank/Hazel pairing right?**


	11. Chapter 11

**What They Said About Contact**

**Chapter Eleven: Doubts.**

* * *

Doubts ate at Jason about his feelings for Percy. After the rescue of Hera, the goddess'd revealed some unpleasant truths. Some facts he didn't really want to face.

Hera had admitted that she'd been the one that send Cupid to Jason. She'd also admitted that she had hoped Jason and Percy's feelings for one another would develop. She'd meddled with all their lives—the Prophesied Seven—to save the world. Their lives included the lives of their dear ones, their feelings and the path they took.

So was it wrong for Jason to have doubts about his feelings for the daughter of Poseidon? What if his feelings for her were merely a fluke; and that the person he had truly loved was Reyna?

It was arguable though; he didn't feel any kind of spark whenever his skin brushed Reyna's and his stomach certainly didn't do flip-flops whenever the girl smiled.

But... what if, what if it was also part of Hera's plan?

He watched as the campers all mile about busily like ants or bees, trying to finish their transportation to Camp Jupiter. The son of Jupiter can tell that they all want their heroin back and were backing their back to get to her as soon as possible.

Jason felt guilty that he wasn't there helping there, instead he'd sat down and daydream. Contemplate his thoughts, he'd say.

As it was, some younger demigods threw him dirty looks. He scowled back.

"Is something wrong?" a familiar bubbly voice interrupted his thoughts. "You've been down ever since you came back from rescuing Hera."

Jason looked up to see the little daughter of Apollo.

He smiled slightly as he ruffled her curly hair.

"Nothing you should worry about," he said.

"Are you sad because you can't see Percy for a few more months?" Alexa persisted, scrutinizing him in the way that unnnerved Jason; if she ever were an enemy to be fought on the battlefield, she'd be a dangerous opponent with her excellent prediction of people.

"I think so," Jason muttered.

"What do you mean by that?" Annabeth demanded, joining their conversation and crossing her arms. Her eyes were narrowed. "If you're thinking of leaving Percy for that... that—_leech_—"

"No!" the blonde boy protested. "Of course not! I'd rather die!"

"Shh!" Alexa placed a finger to her lips, eyes darting around wildly at the campers that had turned to the trio because of the son of Jupiter's loud outburst. "We don't want anyone to know what we're talking about—and as much as I dislike Piper, what we're talking about will hurt."

"About not wanting to see Percy...?" Annabeth probed dangerously, eyes glowering down at her fellow blonde.

The son of Jupiter cleared his throat.

"I miss her, sure... it's just that..." he cast his gaze downwards. "I'm—I'm scared that my feelings for her was just a lie, that I don't really love her and that it was Hera's meddling."

"You mean..." Alexa trailed off but there was a knowing look in her eyes. "You're scared that Percy feels the same and that she'd call off your relationship." It wasn't a question but a firm statement; an observation.

"Are you sure you're not a child of Aphrodite?" Jason joked half-heartedly.

Annabeth's eyes softened a fraction.

"Percy may doubt herself but...I'm sure she loves you—it was so obvious on your faces."

"Was," Jason groaned.

"Why are you so negative?" Alexa huffed. "Here we are trying to cheer you up and give you hope and you crush your hopes down yourself. Are you a masochist?"

"Where did you learn that word? You sure you're not a daughter of Athena?"

Alexa rolled her sun-like eyes.

"Just—just don't feel that way near Piper; she's a daughter of Aphrodite so she can definitely feel what you're feeling and might be able to charmspeak you into forgetting Percy or something," Annabeth interjected, listing off almost everything she could think of that Piper would do. She had very little good experience with children of Aphrodite so her suggestions were plenty; sadly, the only child of Aphrodite whom were even remotely useful was dead.

What the trio did not see was Piper, back pressed against the wall as she listened in on the conversation. She contemplated the suggestions Annabeth were saying—though they weren't meant for her, she could definitely use them—and someone up there must have taken a liking to her.

Her eyes gleamed maniacally as she ran after the daughter of Hecate, Lou Ellen.

**JxP**

What neither of the demigods knew was that this was entirely planned by Aphrodite.

The goddess of love had to admit that she was only feeling slightly guilty for toying with all of their feelings. Her gaze flitted to the pool where the image of the daughter of Poseidon was. Her fingers were linked and crossed across her stomach, her coffee-brown hair that had grown in the months splayed around her, her skin was paler due to the lack of sunlight and she'd gotten slightly taller.

With her sea-green eyes closed, she looked like a replica of Helen of Troy. Had Zeus seen this, he'd thought that the daughter of Poseidon was his daughter or maybe a reincarnation of her.

Aphrodite toyed that idea around her head; if Percy was Helen then wouldn't Jason be Paris? Or maybe Paris was Luke? Percy had loved Luke before he died after all...and didn't Prometheus say that she was fighting the second coming of the Trojan War?

The similarity was almost uncanny. And the suggestion wasn't entirely implausible Aphrodite shook her head; now wasn't the time for that—though she made a mental note to pay a visit to Hades to ask about this. Her gaze switched to Jason who was currently with Piper.

She was disappointed that her daughter would stoop as low as to ask a child of Hecate for a love potion. Aphrodite had thought to interfere if it wasn't for the fact Zeus had slapped a restriction order on both her and Hera—she did help the Queen of gods... just a little, maybe more; all right, quite a lot since she'd been the one that send Cupid on Hera's orders.

Piper was on Jason as soon as the love potion worked it's charm.

The son of Jupiter, dizzy and charmed, didn't made a move of protest as he was cornered and pushed onto the bed. Aphrodite wasn't able to stomach it; the glazed look in Jason's eyes, unable to protest against what he was being forced into doing—it reminded her of when Hera had cursed Hercules and forced him to kill his mortal family. Her hand curled into a fist before she knew it, lashing out at the pool, creating ripples that distorted the image.

Aphrodite couldn't see the future; but she could see the look of rage and betrayal and confusion and disbelief etched onto Alexa's and Annabeth's face when they found out. And Jason, the poor son of Jupiter, wouldn't be able to do anything. But the daughter of Ouranos believed that somewhere, under the spell, instead of seeing Piper, he saw Percy.

Aphrodite's eyes teared up a bit when against anyone's will Morpheus—she'd chew him out later and bully her husband into inventing a device to punish him as well—showed Percy a dream of Jason and Piper; the latter replacing the former in the son of Jupiter's eyes.

The look of betrayal and hurt on the daughter of Poseidon's face was enough to create a torrent in Aphrodite's pool.

"_Why_...?"

**JxP**

* * *

**A/N: **Did you guys notice that I changed the category group to Drama instead of Humor? That's because there'd be more drama next chapter.


	12. Chapter 12

**What They Said About Contact**

**Chapter Twelve: Conflicts.**

* * *

Percy woke with a choked scream, tears having already pooled near her eyes. She clutched her chest that was currently throbbing in pain from what she'd saw. She tried to convince herself that it was a fluke—even though she knew demigod dreams were either showing them the future, past or the events currently happening.

But why...? The blonde boy was hers... why would he be with some other girl? The boy—_Jason_, her mind readily supplied through the haze of her shielded memories—loved her, not that... that slut that forced herself on Jason—

"Percy! Are you okay?"

Percy's head whipped around, her brown hair whipping around wildly as it followed the movement of her head. She swallowed thickly before giving her reply that didn't placate her two companions—both whom had wormed their way into her heart as her precious person; and with what Jason had done, he was out of that list—as they frowned at her answer : "No, not really. But I think I can finish the quest."

"Maybe you should rest more, Percy," Frank suggested, concerned. "If you want your memories back—"

"I don't think I even want my memories back," the daughter of Poseidon said miserably. "after what I saw in the dream..."

"What dream?" Hazel piped up, curious and concern the same time.

"It's something I don't want to talk about," Percy admitted, wiping the tears away. "I don't think my memories matter much anymore, I can get Aunt Hestia to help me—she governs family after all, I'd be able to get my memories of my _friends_ and_ families_ who are _not_ backstabbers back. I don't want to remember _any_ traitors."

_Luke...you wouldn't have done that to me right_? Percy looked away when her friends stared at her, even more worried before at the amount of bitterness in her voice. _I miss you now, more than ever_. The son of Hermes always'd a way of cheering her up no matter what and would always apologize after every battle they had that'd injured her badly or hurt her emotionally—they would have been so much more had he lived and her heart wouldn't have been broken by Jason.

**JxP**

Hera was not happy.

Juno was furious.

Both were ready to kill someone and their anger rolled into one was not something any deity, demigod, human or any other creatures wanted to witness. Nor do they would want to be anywhere near the goddess when she was fuming. They'd end up suffering.

Hera was growling, almost like an animal in Aphrodite's opinion. The two goddesses that were given restriction were trapped in their own chambers up on Olympus—while the other gods were running around wild free to do whatever they wanted; their things trivial while Hera's was important and yet she was the one trapped—but Hera had decided to pay a visit to Aphrodite. But instead of saying whatever she wanted to say to the goddess of love, the goddess of air started pacing around the room and cursing madly in Ancient Greek.

Fed up, Aprhodite finally spoke.

"Is there something you want from me, Hera?" she asked as sweetly as she possibly could in the midst of her own bad mood. Oh yes, Aphrodite was having a horrible mood herself; Venus was upset and together, they weren't entirely pleasant either. Aphrodite still recalled how she'd made many couples meet a bad end because of her temper trantrum.

She was only mildly sorry for doing that to those poor mortals.

"It's your daughter's existence I want erased!" Hera spat, her form flickering since Juno wanted to give Aphrodite a piece of her mind as well. "She ruined all my well laid plans!"

"Which wasn't even fullproof," Aphrodite pointed out icily. "Something's bound to go wrong."

"All because of your daughter!" Hera snarled. "Your other daughters at least have some pride; Drew didn't stoop as low and Silena died a hero despite being a traitor!"

Aphrodite's nostrils flared. "Don't talk about my children like that! I know what Piper did was wrong but she's still young and immature; desperate she just—"

"Stop defending her! And here I thought some of your children would actually prove their worth rather than being sore eyes."

"They're my children—of course I would defend them as a mother—"

"You better tell your son to say his prayers before I blast him to bits! Oh yes, I'll drown him like I'd never drown others before—just you wait and see, Zeus—"

Hera and Aphrodite paused in their argument—and the latter had half the mind to kick the former out of her abode—and turned to see Zeus, or rather, Jupiter arguing with Poseidon. The former trying his best to restrain the latter.

"What happened?" Hera deadpanned, taking a moment of her rant to inquire what her brothers were doing to one another. "You're fighting like children."

Aphrodite watched as Poseidon's and Jupiter's form flickered, turning younger at Hera's accusation.

"You're on my side, Hera, right? Tell Poseidon he shouldn't harm my son—he's innocent, blame that daughter of Aphrodite!" Jupiter whined, well young in his current ten year old form for special affect on his wife.

Poseidon seemed to be around twelve or thirteen but that didn't stop him from being mean to his younger brother. "My daughter's feelings are hurt—I should have protested against their relationship in the first place! And that Aphrodite's daughter—"

"You've been repeating those lines for _hours_, Poseidon, I can practically _recite _it in my dreams," someone new said with exasperation in his voice.

"Shut _up_, Hades—"

"—Who's side are you on anyway?"

In his fifteen year old form, Hades turned the other cheek, huffing softly at his brothers' childishness. He caught the women's odd looks and raised a brow. "What?"

"Mind explaining how things became like this?"

"I thought that more damage would be cause if they were in their adult form, so I reduce them to children. And it's fun to be kids once more—everyone do anything we want them to," Hades smirked. "Heh."

"If you're having fun... why are they arguing?" Aphrodite asked, gesturing to where Poseidon and Jupiter were wrestling on the ground.

"We overheard your conversation; and since they cared so much about their children, they started arguing about their future and relationship. At least nothing was destroyed." Hades muttered the last part out.

Hera stared blankly at Hades.

"Then why aren't you stopping them? Didn't you just feel the earth shake?"

"Oh shit."

**JxP**

"_I hate you! And to think I trusted you!_"

Jason jerked awake, surprise on his features. He glanced around the place and noticed that he was in his cabin, not drowning in the sea. He glanced to his side and noticed Piper cuddled up to him, the blankets barely covering her upper half.

That sight would have turned any man on but the son of Jupiter merely felt apathy. He felt no pleasure nor did he feel satisfied when he took the daughter of Aphrodite. Someone else with brown hair and green eyes—Percy, his mind readily supplied—fitted him more better but he couldn't puzzle out why the daughter of Poseidon's face grew dimmer and dimmer every time he drink Piper's handmade coffee. And his feelings for her turned more and more blurry—were they friends? Or something more? He couldn't tell anyhow. It was like an inner conflict with himself to see whether or not he could remember more of her—he thought he knew her more intimately.

He crept out of the bed silently, accidently brushing something in the darkness. He turned and noticed that it was Piper's wallet. He reached down and picked it up, dusted it off dust only for a small packet to fall out of it.

Jason stared at it.

_...Love potion_?

**JxP**


	13. Chapter 13

**What They Said About Contact**

**Chapter Thirteen: Breaking Apart.**

* * *

Annabeth's nerves were killing her. As calm and collected as she was most of the time, she was still ADHD. She couldn't sit still when she was nervous so she ended up pacing on-board the Argo II as they sailed for New Rome, Camp Jupiter. Speaking of Jupiter... the daughter of Athena's eyes trailed to the son of Jupiter.

Jason looked as handsome as ever, with his blonde hair in a messy mop that gave him a rebel look. Annabeth disliked him on sight for his goody-two shoes looks and attitude, but that was to be expected of a Roman. Ever since he spent time with the Greeks, he lost that look. He no longer combed his hair or ironed his shirt—and with the children of Hermes' influence, Annabeth suspected that must have permanently lost his memory of keeping a place neat. His personality had changed too, from being a rule-follower to a rule-breaker—he'd been spending too much time with the Hermes Cabin.

Percy would've liked her boyfriend's changes because the daughter of Poseidon had once complained to her best friend that he was too strict about following the rules with her. Annabeth's expression darkened at the thought of her and the son of Jupiter.

She turned the other direction and shot Piper a venomous look. She still couldn't forget how the protection over camp that controls the weather broke like a dam when the son of Jupiter was enraged. Thunder struck and a storm rolled in, the continuous three day rain flooded camp and with no children of the sea god's help, they lived pretty miserable lives for a week.

All because of the daughter of Aphrodite and some child of Hecate.

They'd been punished by Chiron but Jason's anger wasn't that easy to subdue. It took Annabeth, Leo and Alexa to coax him—knock him out, drag him to the infirmary and strap him down lest he started another temper tantrum—out of his hiding place. It took him quite a while to recover—they needed to remove the remains of the love potion in him, make sure he rest well after summoning a three day storm.

The questers didn't really need Gaia to tear them apart. They were already doing it themselves. Piper was lucky that Jason was an honorable man and didn't struck her despite being the cause of all his problems and he managed to reign himself in despite the anger and hate. The matter was only known by Jason, Leo, Piper, Annabeth, Lou Ellen (the child of Hecate that'd helped Piper), Chiron and Alexa. It would ruin the children of the Big Three's reputation and Piper's as well—though Annabeth couldn't give a damn about the latter's reputation.

Jason didn't even so much as look at Piper, much less acknowledge her; Annabeth was giving her the cold shoulder. Only Alexa and Leo were willing to talk to her. The former was the only kind and still acted normal towards his friend though; Alexa's words were delivered with a sweet smile but the underlying malice and the biting words said otherwise of the open emotion she showed the others.

The daughter of Athena tore her gaze away from Piper when the daughter of Aphrodite looked up and saw her looking. Annabeth growled in frustration and turned... only to jerk back in shock. A flying handless statue had just exploded into the Argo II... _what the Hades_?

**JxP**

Percy's smile dropped faster than a rock would sink into the ocean when she saw the Argo II. Reyna noticed this immediately and wondered what would be in the ship that carried her friends that made her so horrified.

Frank and Hazel shared a glance, their moods dropping along with their friend's.

Clearing her throat, Reyna broke through the awed and suspicious murmurings of the crowd by saying, "Well, let's go greet our Greek counterparts."

The Roman demigods and legacies murmured darkly, suspicions in their gazes but they followed their praetors anyway. The daughter of Bellona snuck a glance at the daughter of Poseidon, realizing with unease that she couldn't read the Sea Princess' expression—unreadable like how one was unable to determine the sea's mood. But Reyna knew that far too calm expression—the calm shore before a tsunami hits.

The Argo II floated about New Rome but a ladder was thrown down. Everyone watched anxiously as a blonde girl descended. Percy's face lit up when she saw her, the blonde looked down, saw Percy and just jumped. She landed on her feet nimbly, rushing to meet her best friend.

Percy laughed in delight, squeezing tears from her eyes as she embraced the daughter of Athena. "Miss you, Annie."

"You've no idea how much I do too," Annabeth laughed, brushing a few stray tears as she pulled away to study how much the daughter of Poseidon had changed. Her coffee-brown hair seemed a shade darker, her skin tanner. And she definitely grew taller, her muscles were more defined as well. But her clothes were suspiciously need, under the purple toga which oddly suited Percy, making her look more like loyalty and even more pretty.

Jason would've liked his girlfriend so queenly.

That thought made Annabeth's thoughts turn down a darker path and as if responding to her dark thoughts, the coin in her pocket grew colder. But the daughter of Athena shoved those thoughts away, relishing in her best friend's presence. The daughter of Poseidon's calming ocean scent—Annabeth hadn't been to the ocean in weeks, unable to bear seeing a painful reminder of Percy's absence—washed away half of her anxiety. She wished it'd last but when someone else landed onto the ground nimbly behind the girls, the air seemed to grow colder.

Percy's eyes narrowed coldly at Jason's eyes which remained unreadable but Annabeth saw the clear pain behind those electric blue hues. The daughter of Athena started forming plans to get the two children of the Big Three to make up and forgive the daughter of Aphrodite.

Sensing the dropping temperature Reyna stepped forward, eyeing Jason with another unreadable emotion but her face was stony and hard; she eyed the sky and narrowed her eyes at the children of the Big Three when she saw stormy clouds gathering.

"Jason," she barely managed to spit out the name; Percy winced but didn't back down. "I welcome you, my former...ah, colleague back—"

Whatever else she might've said was cut off by the roll of thunder. The Romans eyed the stormy skies warily, wondering what the children of Big Three was doing.

"Hey, yo, lighten up with the glares!" a new voice said. "Ow! I think I broke my ankle—I can't move at all—Annie—!"

Annabeth had never been so glad to hear Joker Leo's voice right now. His comedy act broke the tension and she could see Percy's lips quirk slightly in amusement. Jason's shoulders relaxed when he saw that familiar expression on his girlfriend's—was she still his now that she knew what he and Piper had done?—face.

Piper joined them last of all, coming down after Alexa and tried to hide herself in the shadows but failed terribly. Percy shot her a murderous glare before plastering a weak smile on her face when Alexa called for her attention. To break the tense and awkward situation, Reyna ordered a feast to celebrate the Greeks arrival.

The Romans relaxed considerably. But Reyna didn't know how long that armistice will last with Percy and Jason and Octavian—he shamelessly invited himself—sitting in the same table. She heaved a sigh and hoped things wouldn't be as bad as she imagined it'd be.

**LxA**

A mere hour later proved Reyna how wrong she was and she knew this as she and Annabeth raced down the hill and towards the commotion. She glanced up just in time as the Argo II fired another round at her home. She growled when she saw the causalities; she locked eyes with the daughter of Athena and nodded.

Annabeth darted away, looking for her friends in the mob of enraged Romans. "Percy!" she called urgently.

"A little help here?!" Annabeth turned and saw Piper, Alexa, Frank and Hazel gathered in a triangular form, trying to defend themselves from the Romans.

"Stay back!" Piper screamed, pouring her charmspeaking powers into her words. The Romans hesitated, backing away and resisting enough for Annabeth to plough through them and reach her friends. Piper looked at Annabeth with wild eyes. "What do we do now?" she asked.

"Now," Annabeth said grimly. "We run—back to the ship!"

"We'll distract them while you guys run for it," Hazel said firmly when the Romans stirred and charged at them, the charmspeak wearing off. She whistled and a blur of brown shot through the crowd and towards the daughter of Pluto. She climbed onto the horse. "Iris Message me and we'll regroup," she grimaced as she looked into another direction. "you better hurry and help Jason and Percy. Arion—ride!"

And she was gone but Annabeth didn't care. She craned her neck and saw Percy and Jason back to back. Water tendrils lashing out at the Romans that tried to attack them, lightning shocking anyone that dared to move towards them. Their powers were working together but their users weren't and Annabeth knew it wouldn't be long before water and lightning turn on one another instead.

"Frank!" she cried. "Distract them!"

"Who?" the son of Mars asked, baffled. Annabeth grimaced, even the most obstuse guy know something was wrong with the children of the Big Three and was confused as to which fight he should be breaking up—Jason and Percy's fight would most likely end up as World War III and with the Romans and Greeks backing up their leaders... another Civil War was the last thing they ever need.

"This is all my fault," Piper muttered miserably as Alexa forced her to climb the ladder up to the Argo II. "I shouldn't have been so adamant in making Jason mine."

"Its in the past now!" the young daughter of Apollo snapped. "Now, _go_. Or we'll die and you'd never be able to make any amends once you're dead."

It unnerved the daughter of Aphrodite that such a young girl talk so much about death and yet was unfazed. But Piper did as told anyway. When she reached the top and managed to haul herself up, she scanned the place and saw Leo manning the ship, calmly loading the ballistae.

"Leo!" she screamed in shock. "What are you doing?!"

The son of Hephaestus turned to face her, his movements mechanical and answered in a metallic voice, "Destroy them all..." as if in a daze.

Piper didn't waste any time, she drew Katroptis and jabbed Leo's head with the blunt edge. The firestarter crumpled to the ground after the blow. Just as Annabeth pull herself into the Argo II. She narrowed her startling gray eyes at her boyfriend's unconscious form and the forming bump and Piper's knife. But she didn't say anything, instead she rushed to him and would've continued tending him if the children of the Big Three hadn't interrupted her.

"Get the ship moving!" the daughter of Poseidon yelled. Ananbeth looked dazed at the command but she nodded and pressed a button, fumbled around and before long, the Argo II rose and shot into the stormy skies.

Percy would've relaxed and chose to laze around on the ground if she wasn't nearly lying on top of Jason. He met her eyes with an unreadable look but she shot him a murderous one and stood up. She stared coldly down at her best friend's boyfriend.

"Wake up, son of Hephaestus."

The son of Jupiter's jaw clenched.

"He's tired and injured. Let him be."

"He fired on New Rome," Percy hissed. "and might have just ruined our chance at defeating Gaia. Without a united front—the time I spent here would be for nothing and if I wasn't here, you would have still been—" she clamped her mouth shut and turned away.

Jason found sudden interest in his feet and so did Piper. She knew it was her fault but she didn't know how to amend it. Just as she opened her mouth to say something, Leo groaned and started pushing himself up.

"W—what's wrong?" he asked weakly, clutching his throbbing head. He looked up, hoping for some explanation from his friends but all he got was a deadly glare from oceanic eyes.

He gulped; suddenly wishing he hadn't woke up so soon.

**JxP**

* * *

**A/N: **Next chap depicts how they reconcile – maybe. How should they go about it?


	14. Chapter 14

**What They Said About Contact**

**Chapter Fourteen: Hits The Fan.**

* * *

Leo's life was saved by his own girlfriend—and he found himself wishing that Percy had just ripped him to shreds instead of being interrogated by Annabeth. He swallowed as his brown eyes met Annabeth's grey, so intense and he felt as if he was on fire—being burned by her intense stare and it was impossible for the fire-user to burn. He hated making the blonde girl angry—she was terrifying. He turned puppy-dog eyes to his best friend, hoping that Jason would help him.

But alas, the son of Jupiter was too busy staring at his own feet. Piper had, looking thoroughly ashamed and guilty, left for downstairs where Percy went. And the two girls had been down there together for quite a while... what if—

A scream drew the demigods attention. Ananbeth fixed him with a stern and promising stare as she rose from her crouching position. "We'll get back to this later," she said before she turned and ran after Jason.

Leo and Frank had no choice but to follow the blondes. However, they were too late as they'd arrived to a rather disastrous scene: Jason, out cold and with a crying Piper by his side, cradling his head gently which certainly did not help Percy's mood. The Sea Princess shot the couple a deadly glare, disentangled herself from Annabeth and storm back to her cabin.

"What happened?" Leo moaned the damage on his baby—the Argo II was not made for battles between children of the Big Three. "Now I don't have any more materials to repair the damages done by the Romans _and_ this."

Frank shot him a rather poisonous look. "_You _were the reason why the Romans attacked us."

Leo was about to retort when Annabeth interrupted them. "Enough boys," she ordered before gesturing towards Jason. "We need to get him to Alexa. Frank, go get her; Leo, help me and Piper carry Jason back to his cabin."

He snapped his mouth shut and moved into action. He reached down and pushed Jason's stomach onto his shoulders, struggling slightly as he wobbled to his best friend's cabin. He all but threw the blonde boy down onto his bed when they were close enough. He rubbed his shoulders, moaning, groaning and complaining. "Ow—Jason really needs to lose some weight."

"What happened?"

Leo was shove aside violently; his head made a resounded _thunk!_ when it connected with the floor but no one paid him any mind. Frank even nudged him with his foot away. The girls didn't even so much as spared him a glance—not even his girlfriend!—too concentrated on Jason and answering Alexa's question. He was momentarily impressed by the sunlight in the little girl's hands and made a mental note to get her for the forming knot on his head later.

"—Percy lashed out and my charmspeak didn't work on her so I did the only thing I could: scream. Jason came first, he shielded me and he was knocked out. That's when you guys came." Piper was wrapping up her story just as Alexa was wrapping up Jason's head.

Alexa frowned. "Percy is a very reasonable person. She wouldn't have lashed out at you if you'd said the right thing." Her tone made it clear that for a child of Aphrodite she was bad with words if someone as passive as Percy would get offended.

Piper hesitated but the intense stares made her spit out: "I told her I was in love with Jason."

"That was a foolish thing to say," Annabeth agreed. "But you said 'was' so I pressume that you were explaining your feelings from the past?"

Piper nodded. "I talked to her because I wanted to make things right for them again."

"Of course," Annabeth grumbled. "She's the very definition of protective." Then she sighed loudly, her shoulders sagging and Leo realized that behind that aloof expression, she was hiding a turmoil of panic and resentment. It made him want to wrap his arms around her and tell her everything's going to be okay but he wasn't too sure of showing his affections openly because he was afraid he'd be a laughing stock; _the good cute girl Annabeth Chase dating Joker Valdez? What a joke_! Also, he didn't want Annabeth to be teased either—because she certainly can do better than him.

"I'll go talk to her," the daughter of Athena said, running a hand through her blonde curls. "You guys, whoever, take care of Jason."

And she was gone.

And still no one noticed Leo.

**LxA**

Percy fumed, throwing Annabeth a dark glare when she entered her room. The daughter of Poseidon was baffled with her own emotion as well; she hadn't seen her friends in months, she should be ecstatic to see her yet she just felt irritation.

Annabeth raised an eyebrow in a silent _what's wrong with you_ and Percy had no other choice but to confess. The blonde sat by her best friend, humming in thought. Percy saw the way her grey eyes glint and knew she'd a theory.

"I have a reason as to why you're waiting that way," Annabeth said finally under Percy's accusing stare. "We'd need Alexa to confirm it."

"So she learned how to treat mental patients in the time I was gone from her siblings?" Percy asked, amused and slightly annoyed that she was really going crazy. "Is she great at healing?"

"A natural. Even more so than her siblings and she's still young," Annabeth answered enthusiastically, fond of the sparky young girl—though she was slightly obtuse and it drove Annabeth up the wall sometimes. "I just need her to check something out. I told Alexa to come here—"

"Talking about me?"

The older girls looked up, instantly spotting the shine of sunny hair and fiery brown eyes peeking out from behind the door. Percy rolled her eyes impatiently and the daughter of Apollo grinned, shuffling in and closing the door. "So..." she said as she bounced over to the older girls. "What can I do for you?"

Annabeth gestured to Percy. "Can you check her for... any particular changes?"

"Other than the fact that I'm—"

"Shut up and let her do her job."

Percy pouted at the reprimand and Annabeth was suddenly reminded of her best friend before Hera took her away. Her best friend changing was one more reason to add to the _List of why I hate Her Majesty_.

**LxA**

When she was done, instead of giving a report of the patient's condition, Alexa gawked stupidly at Percy. Her reaction concerned the daughter of Poseidon greatly—fear filling her heart so fast she thought her chest might burst; she was going to die and the world still needed saving. Annabeth snapped her fingers in front of the daughter of Apollo's face a few time before finally whacking her upside the head to get her back on earth.

"Well?" Annabeth demanded impatiently, crossing her arms and tapping the floor impatiently.

Alexa swallowed through a dry throat.

"You're pregnant."

"_Say what?! Percy's pregnant?!_"

The girls whipped around to face a very shocked, very red-faced Frank. For a shy guy, Annabeth was impressed that he could shout so loud. Loud enough to announce to everyone on board. And certainly loud enough for the demigods plus one satyr to bust into the cabin.

Out of all of them, the palest-faced one was Jason. Fear, disbelief, anger warred openly on his face. Annabeth figured its because he was terrified that the child wasn't his and he was torn between his hate for it and the sire and drowned in misery that Percy found another. Hope was the weakest amongst the fight; hope that he was the father and hope for a happy family—one he'd never really had.

He, very predictably, asked who's the baby's sire. And everyone's breath was inhaled sharply, not exhaling as they waited for her answer.

The daughter of Poseidon's face was even harder to read. But Annabeth, being her best friend for years, can discern some of the emotions. Bitterness and hate and spite; definitely a sign for when she was about to do something spiteful. Before Annabeth can warn her _don't be stupid_, she said two sentences that could very well tear the seven apart:

"If its blonde and blue-eyed, we can safely assume its Octavian's isn't it? Even the conception date matches."

All color was drained of Jason's face but pallid white. Alabaster caused by anger, hate, disbelief—Annabeth didn't see hope among the war on his face as he turned and stormed out. She turned back to her friend.

"You can't be serious!"

Percy's only answer was a stare the epitome of the raging seas.

**JxP**


	15. Chapter 15

**What They Said About Contact**

**Chapter Fifteen: Eye Of The Storm**

* * *

What happened after Jason ran out on them was chaos, the demigods bombarded Percy with one question after another. Alexa tried in vain to calm them down because they were seriously stressing Percy out. And if anything happens to the baby, the daughter of Poseidon will never forgive. However, because of her small stature, Alexa was easily pushed back by the teens.

She scowled and yelled for their attention. But failed when no one even turned to look at her. "Ugh," she made a disgusted noise. "Percy needs to rest! It isn't good for the baby!"

Finally, finally—thank Apollo—Annabeth noticed her, nodding to say that she'd heard and understood. She started pushing the other demigods back, ordering them to return to their duties. Piper was the most reluctant to leave.

The daughter of Aphrodite couldn't believe that the daughter of Poseidon would say something like that. Even if the baby was really that Octavian guy's—disgusting by the way—Percy could at least keep it hidden. Piper desperately wanted to believe and reassure Jason that the baby was his but the conception date was wrong. And even the son of Jupiter must've noticed that.

Piper waited silently outside Percy's cabin; she knew it wasn't her business much, but she still caused half of the couple's trouble so she wanted time to talk to Percy and explain things. The person that exited was Annabeth and instead of walking away to do her own business, she turned to stare at Piper.

Her grey eyes hardened. "What are you doing here?"

"I...I was just thinking about what Percy'd said," the brunette hesitated under those intense eyes. "Do you believe her?"

Annabeth's shoulders slumped at that. "I don't know myself," she whispered. "I hope not. But I don't think she'll get rid of the baby, regardless of the father." Then she blinked as if she just remembered Piper was there. "Shouldn't you be comforting Jason by now?"

"Isn't that suppose to be Percy's job?" Piper asked dryly.

"I don't think they'll get back together again with how things are," a new voice said, tone unhappy. "You started this," Alexa was revealed to be the speaker and she was staring at Piper accusingly. "Do something."

"I wish I could turn back time."

**JxP**

Jason's head was buried in his pillow, as if he was trying to suffocate himself. Piper had thought he'd died of suffocation when she first saw it and had freaked out then proceeded to rip the pillow from Jason's grip. Which was surprisingly easy to do.

Jason'd sort of stared at her before burying his face in his comforter. They'd been in silence for approximately five minutes, Piper was counting the seconds when Jason's croaked out a '_what do you want from me, leave me alone'_ to _wallow in myself misery_ was unspoken but rang loud and clear in the silent thunderous room.

Lightning streaked across the wallpaper and the galaxy was Jason's cabin's ceiling. The coloring of the room was overall dark blue, black and had a rather punk-ish theme going. But Piper wasn't there to admire the cabin, she had a mission assigned by herself and unspoken by the other demigods: unite the broken couple.

"I had a vision, we need to go."

"Why me of all people?" came Jason's muffled reply. Piper had a feeling that he was asking about something else.

"Come on. Percy's going too—" _Oops_. Too late Piper realize that she'd said the wrong thing. Jason's whole body tensed and he shook his head in defiant refusal.

"No," he mumbled. "Even more reason to not go."

"This is your chance to reconcile."

"There's nothing to mend."

"There's a chance the baby might be yours even though she...er, did _that_ with Octavian." Piper cleared her throat awkwardly, unable to envison Octavain capable of such a role with such stringy and weak looking hands.

"The date's all wrong," Jason moaned stubbornly and Piper was seriously tempted to charmspeak him into moving—anything to get the two back together. "The thing in her stomach couldn't be mine."

That did it. "Jason," Piper ordered, pouring charmspeak into her words and watching as his shoulders tense again—body and mind trying to fight off the inevitable. "Get up. You're going with me and Percy to find our clue."

Mechanically, the son of Jupiter pushed himself of the bed and stood up. He shot Piper a glare as she grabbed his arm and pulled him out of his cabin. When they reached the gathered demigods, she dropped her hold on Jason's arm. Percy didn't even deign to look at either of her quest companions.

"Shall we?"

**JxP**

Leo dropped them off and told them to start walking, claiming that their destination was close. When she returned, Piper swore she'd smack the son of Hephaestus upside the head for claiming that eight miles was close. She'd murder him, children of Aphrodite just weren't made for stamina build—except when they're in danger of dying (but then again, who wouldn't be energize to escape Death?).

Percy certainly didn't look good, her right hand was cradling her abdomen. "I don't think I can walk anymore." She said after a minute or so. She stopped walking entirely and sat down on a boulder—which she must've stopped for—and closed her eyes, concentrating on something.

Jason was frowning in concern as said, "I'll call for a ride, I know some who'll give you a ride."

"I don't need whatever summon you have," Percy snorted arrogantly as she opened her eyes, gazing at Piper then at Jason distastefully. "Why don't you give the honors to your girlfriend?"

Piper was surprised a child of the sea god could be so vengeful, so hateful. She thought it was only a trait children of Hades had, apparently she was wrong but then again, Percy and Hades were related. When the rest of the older girl's sentence registered in her brain, Jason's eyes were already flashing but he closed his eyes, gritted his teeth and concentrated on summoning Tempest, not get in an argument.

"I'm not his girlfriend," the daughter of Aphrodite said feebly, sounding weak even to her own ears. "What we have was just a one time thing."

"We don't even look alike," Percy said coldly in return, turning away from the other two demigods to face a flying shape of black galloping in the sky towards them. Percy rose from her sitting position, smiling for the first time as the pegasus descended. "Hey there, Blackjack," she murmured, completely ignoring Tempest's presence that'd landed beside Jason.

"That's impressive," Jason offered, trying to break the tense atmosphere between the three.

Percy scowled but refrained from saying anything when the pegasus whinnied. Piper swore Blackjack the pegasus just told his mistress not to argue. If he did, she surmised it was a good and wise horse.

"There's only two mounts," the daughter of Poseidon remarked coldly. "I suppose Piper will be riding with you?"

This was a conversation that Percy purposefully led to a landmine. The blonde boy's jaw tightened, obviously not happy to be facing Janus. If he chose to let Piper ride Tempest with him, he'd obviously fail Percy's test but if he didn't...how would Piper reach their destination?

"I think I'll walk," Piper announced after a pregnant pause. "Can you guys wait for me—"

"Ugh," Percy muttered. "Get on my pegasus." The green-eyed girl steered her steed towards the younger girl and shifted to make space. She frowned when she realized that it would be very cramp on the pegasus.

Piper smiled hesitantly. "But I don't think I know—"

Percy offered her hand, a thin smile on her lips. "Its okay, I'll teach you once we go back to the Argo II."

The daughter of Aphrodite was ashamed to admit that she thought Percy had a malice intent underneath that smile and kind words. But she accepted the offered hand anyway, and clambered up the mount, shifting around to make herself comfortable. All the while, Percy didn't even look at Jason. When they were all buckled up, they soared into the air.

**JxP**

If Jason thought that the choice of letting Piper ride with him or not was hard, this was impossible. His throat felt dry as he stared at the two girls before him, their weapons drawn and facing one another with hard eyes—golden ones instead of their normal eye color.

_Choose, son of Jupiter_, Gaea's voice murmured in his head sleepily but seemingly aware of everything happening before him. _which one will you die with_?

Jason choked back his inappropriate laughter, did the earth goddess had to ask to know? He thought the answer was obvious; Percy, but he couldn't possibly let Piper die as well—no matter how much she'd betrayed him, she was still one of his best friend and he loved her like a younger sister he'd never had.

"Percy," he tried reasoning with even though he knew it was futile. "Don't do this."

The girl he loved didn't even acknowledge him, she concentrated on the girl before her, Piper. In a duel of close combat, Jason knew Piper would lose, would die. He turned to the other girl, pleading with her to see reason but she was out of it.

They charged at one another, much to Jason's horror and their blows glanced off only because their steeds reared back and delayed their riders. Tempest looked at Jason, demanding him to do something about the girl riding him.

_Wait for it_, Jason told the storm spirit mentally. _Throw her off_.

Tempest did and once he did, he disappeared in a flurry of cold winds. Jason grumbled, no help at all. Fortunately, Blackjack did not abandon him. The pegasus threw his own mistress of and dived into the paddy fields. Talk about useless, Jason thought bitterly and was cursing the two horses when he saw Blackjack emerge from behind the grasses, surprisingly silent for such a large creature.

Their eyes met and he thought he understood horse-speak too.

Blackjack whinnied loudly, drawing the possessed Percy's attention and it was all Jason needed to knock her out. She fell right into his arms and he wrapped her tightly in his grasp; it'd been too long since he last held her and he wanted to savor it. It was only when Blackjack nudged him and nodded to Piper that he moved.

He placed the two girls on the pegasus' back, gesturing for Blackjack to take flight. He followed at the same pace once he was in air. He was enjoying the breeze in his face, momentarily blowing his worries away until he heard _her _call his name.

Sea-green eyes stared at him.

"We need to talk."

**JxP**


End file.
